HIGH ELF TACTICS:
Army Analysis

• Tuomas Pirinen's Army Analysis
• Comments on the Analysis

A STRATEGIC STUDY OF THE
HIGH ELF ARMY LIST

The Elves have several weak and strong points. They have high WS, BS, and a monstrous Initiative 6. They have a good move of 5 and this can be futher improved with Elven Steeds, wich are a real steal at 3 points. They have a good LD of 8 and they cause fear on goblins that don`t outnumber them 2:1.

But all this is balanced with mediocre S of 3, T of 3 and a very high point cost of 8. This really starts to tell against opponents like Skaven and greenskins, who field huge regiment after huge regiment to your dismay. They have no special rules, and Dark Elves hate them.

CHARACTERS

Well, Skaven got plaque priests and Vermin Lords, Dwarfs got Slayer Champions and Runesmiths, and the Elves got.... Errm... Hmmm...

GENERAL, HERO, CHAMPION, AND A LORD	These are your standard characters. You know what they are and what to do with them. High Elf General has a pretty decent line of stats if you boost his weak points with, say Deathsword and the armor of protection.
BATTLE STANDARD BEARER	Toughness of 3 and 1 wound mean that your battle standard will die if the enemy just glances evilly in his general direction. Be very careful with this costly character. I suggest that you hide him inside a unit, so his (compulsory) magical standard helps the warriors, and he stays alive long enough to be useful with the break tests.
WIZARDS	Well, here lies much of the power of the elves. With high magic, War Crown of Saphery, and a broad choice of Color spells, these guys are your best bet against enemy wizardy. Learn the High Magic by heart. Coruscation of Finreir gives your Wizard an Immunity from the attack made by ground troops. This is very effective against dwarves, whom you can chop at freely (especially if mounted on Manticores). Remember that the Fiery Convocation causes fire damage. Most dispell items won`t work against the Assault of Stone, wich affects the hill, not the opponent`s unit. If you do not want to use any magic at all, go for the Drain Magic. Very frustraiting for undead generals. Never take your wizards into H-T-H combat unless you are 100% sure you can win. Best place for them is inside a unit, for most High Magic spells do not require line-of-sight.

UNITS

SILVER HELMS	Like all Elven knights, the Silver Helms suffer from a lousy strength score of 3. Though expensive and weak, they have a couple of strong points. First of all, flexibility. They can be made light cavalry if you don`t give them any more armor, thus getting unlimited number of turns and changes of ranks free. Also, Silver Helms are very fast, and you can field an unlimited number of regiments. They can carry a magic standard, thus increasing their flexibility even more.
	Weaknesses	S of 3 and T 3 don`t give much protection against spells, especially if hit by something that allows no save. The Banner of Wrath is particularily effective in destroying your 41-point-per-model cavalry unit in an instant. If a protracted fight ensues (such as when you charge a unit with Crown of Command and thus can`t break them), Silver Helms will probably lose because of their low S and the lack of ranks.
	Uses	Against Skaven, Men, and everybody else with T of 3, Silver Helms truly excel. Steer clear from units that do not break when you charge them. Without their lance bonus, the Silver Helms are in trouble.
DRAGON PRINCES OF CALEDOR	Dragon Princes are heartbreakingly beautiful models, but not very powerful in combat. It would have been nice to have at least one unit with S of 4 and Lances...
	Weaknesses	T of 3 and S of 3. YYYYUUUURGHH! Move of "only" 7. The Banner of Wrath is the nightmare of every Dragon Prince.
	Uses	If you want a unit with 1+ save (using standard of shielding), then go ahead. Otherwise, I prefer Silver Helms. Agains Skaven Jezzails, and anybody with low S (are there those nowadays, except the High Elves?), they will do fine because of the high save value.
REAVER KNIGHTS	Very light cavalry. Elven steeds and spears do quite a lot to boost their H-T-H potential, however. Their speed is a great asset.
	Weaknesses	If you compare their point costs to their armor save, you`ll probably turn pale. Good H-T-H troops will chop the knights into mincemeat. Don`t try it at home, belive my words.
	Uses	Either with spears and shields, to charge and break skaven slaves, pesants, and giant rats. Or leave out the shields and buy bows. This way, you get fast cavalry with bows. Gallop towards the enemy, shooting until he gets too close. Then turn around, move 9" away, turn around and shoot again! This really wears most enemies down, since -- like all elves -- Reaver Knights are good shots. You need quite a few Reavers for this tactic, though.
LOTHERN SEA GUARD	The nice thing about the Lothern Sea Guard is that they can be equipped with many different ways.
	Weaknesses	High cost is the only thing that worries me about the Sea Guard, plus that they can't have a magical standard. (Come on, even goblins get that!) Also, fielding them takes quite a lot of strategy.
	Uses	There are plenty of options. They can be archers, a substitute for Phoenix Guard because of their lower point cost value and the option of taking halberds, or a combination of these two. You can also field them as archer-spearmen if you really have to, but I don`t recommend it. Against orcs and others with T of 4, S 4 is the lowest value you can field and expect to do any good. I usually take them with bows and halberds, give them a musician, and deploy them in thin lines like other archers. When the enemy gets close enough, I perform the reform manouvre and get ready for the opponent`s charge by increasing the number of my ranks to maximum.
ELF WARRIORS	Again, one of the more flexible Elven units. They have regular elven stats, but at least you don`t have to pay for the useless light armor...
	Weaknesses	The usual elven weaknesses prevail.
	Uses	My usage of Elven warriors is quite straightforward. Give them spears and additional hand weapons, and fight it out with a low-T, low-save unit. With WS of 4 and 2 attacks when charging and 3 otherwise, they usually can hold their own against the likes of Skaven, Goblins and Humans. They are relatively cheap, so you can field quite a lot of them.
SHADOW WARRIORS	The scouts and skirmishers of the High Elves. They can be made decent fighters, equal to the best of the High Elf archers.
	Weaknesses	Shadow warriors cost quite a bit, though these are usually points well spent. They are not at their best against armies that do not employ Dark Elves, but all your Evil opponents are very likely to do just that, so be on guard.
	Uses	They are simply a must against Dark Elves, so you can at least fight in equal terms. With long bows and skirmishing formation, they can all draw a bead to their foe, even without being deployed on a hill.
WHITE LIONS OF CHRACE	Strong as hell, and skilled beoynd the dreams of most opponents' worst nightmares. This magnificent unit suffers very badly from double-handed weapons. Because they always strike last, they have to be used carefully. Other units with 2-h weapons are their speciality because of the high I.
	Weaknesses	Two-handed weapons that cause them to strike last. T of 3. No armor to speak about. Quite expensive.
	Uses	Hate to say this, but with T of 3, armor save of 6+, and two-handed weapons, these superb warriors are very specialized. Use them against goblins, skeletons, skaven slaves, and especially the Chaos Dwarf Axemen. Gobbos and such have such a low WS that they will hit only with 5+, thus giving you a chance to fight back. White Lions are a must against Chaos Dwarfs who have to field a unit of their axemen. Given that you've got higher WS, higher I and higher S, you will chop them to pieces every time. If the Chaos Dwarves fall back to their hand weapons (in order to strike before you), so what? They still hit you only with 4+ and and wound you on 4+. You, on the other hand, hit them with 3+ and wound them with 2+, and still they get no save! Also against the Chaos Dwarves, you can use them to attack the Bull Centaurs, but you will probably lose because of their multiple attacks, high S, and 2 wounds. If you field them as a gamble, make tracks towards the nearest unit with 2-h weapons (such as greatswords). If you know that your game table will have lots of defensive obstacles, then race to take shelter behind them. Your opponent will hit you only with natural 6`s and thus you can strike back. Lethally.
SWORD MASTERS OF HOETH	This unit is the cream of the elven elites, and the one ray of light in an otherwise very depressing list of regiments. Effective S 5, WS 5, and I 7 are something to stir the heart of any true High Elf general. Equipped with the right magic standard (such as the battle banner), joined by a Hero with Crown of Command and Sword of Fortitude who fights from the second rank with a spear, and perhaps supported with the Battle Standard Bearer (with Banner of Might) plus a mage (to give the unit a chance for Rebounds and Destroy spell).
	Weaknesses	Toughness of 3, S of 3, and armor save of 6+ mean that missile fire, spells, and mounted shock troops will kill Sword Masters in droves. They cost an arm-and-a-leg in points, so you can`t field a 100-strong regiment. You need one, though.
	Uses	I usually compose the backbone of my army from the Sword Masters. They fight like blazes, can be supported by other troops very effectively, and have all the usual advantages of the Elves. Use them a lot. Protect them from magic as well as you can. Elven Cavalry is nice, but to have enough numbers and ranks is to win battles.
PHOENIX GUARDS	The SuperHalberdiers(TM). With WS of 5 and I of whopping 7, they also have an option to carry a magic standard or to don heavy armor. Halberds give a nice S bonus.
	Weaknesses	Very high point cost (I don`t want that extra point of I! Give me my points back or increase the S!) and Low T, plus average S.
	Uses	When facing opponents with WS of 4 or lower, and not that many troops, they are very solid infantry, especially with heavy armor and Standard of Shielding. Personally, I prefer Sea Guard.
HIGH ELF SPEARMEN	Every elf general owns lots of them, and hardly ever uses them. They chop up human and goblin light infantry, but the days of Really Tough Guys are here, so you rarely have any use for them.
	Weaknesses	Horribly high point cost value and low S.
	Uses	Tricky one, this...If your opponent likes to field many numerous but relatively weak regiments, you can fight back with spearmen because of their WS 4 and two attacking ranks. Expensive as they are, they are still cheaper than most of the elven troops. I personally prefer the Elf Warriors, though.
HIGH ELF ARCHERS	They are just what they sound like. They are almost worth their points, if you don`t give them light armor (total waste of points). Long bows are essential, as you might imagine.
	Weaknesses	Too few ranks to give any H-T-H ability at all. Bows have S of only 3, so anything with T of 7 or more (like manticore) is totally immune to their fire, and can charge them without any worries. Opponents with high armor-save value are also quite immune to their arrows.
	Uses	I usually field a couple of small units, so I don`t have to care if I lose one. My firepower stays high, and small units don`t spread panic. If I face opponents with a relatively few, high-T units, I wield a quite large unit of them. This discourages charging, as their "stand and shoot" response can be deadly. You need about 30 of them at least to make this effective, though.
TIRANOC CHARIOTEERS	I have put this last, since it is essentially a War Machine rather than a regiment. These things sum up the Elven strategy -- weaken your opponent, and then crush him with your troops. It is the latter part where the Charioteers enter the picture. With a charge range of 18" and ability to cause D6+2 S 7 hits (plus the attacks of the crew and the Steeds), this little thing is what you really need to boost up your combat resolution. Many people dismiss them as useless, but I heartily disagree. True, if they are hit by determined archers or powerful spells, they will be wiped out every time. The trick is to hide them behind hills and buildings, and bring them forth when the time is right and your enemy is upon you. Most players sent them forth in the beginning of the game in a glorious charge, and get shot up. Conserve them, bid your time, and when the true melee begins, charge with them to swing the balance in your favor. Relatively low point-cost enables you to field quite a lot of them.
	Weaknesses	Very vulnerable to missile fire, have only 1 crew and two steeds.
	Uses	These things can break even the hardiest of regiments with ease. Even if your opponents consist of unbreakable troops, a charge of 3+ chariots causes immensive damage. I usually field 4-5 of them, and I think I will get even more of them. Deploy them very carefully -- if the crewman is killed, the chariot may cause immense havoc among your own units. It is also a good idea to cover chariots with each other (for instance, when your chariot is charged by a hero on flying monster, your other chariots should be able to charge him in the following movement phase).

WAR MACHINES

REPEATER BOLT THROWER

Countless words have been written about repeater bolt throwers, and most of them are true. This little device is the bane of the Skaven, Goblin, Dark Elf and Human regiments. Against the Knights it is particularly effective, since it allows no save, ignoring even the thickest plate. It can potentially slay 16(!) models in one shot, though my own record is 12. But alas, it can be easily countred. Ruby Chalice, Harpies, and Terror usually ruin your carefully laid calculations for their effectiveness. Still, they cost only 50 points, so I always field at least 8 of them. Do likewise.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS

TYRION	WS of 8, I of 10, and a couple of nice items (and a beautiful model) makes Tyrion stand out from the crowd of High Elf lords.
	Weaknesses	Tough opponents with the sword of destruction.
	Uses	A very good general (unless you prfer an elf lord riding a huge monster). Remember to make Malhandir`s attacks also. S4, WS4, 2A is not bad... Tyrion is about the best choice for the Apotheosis spell. Remember that Tyrion`s sword is a flaming weapon (mummy killer!), and that his amulet allows him to try and avoid any spell, even one cast with total power!
TECLIS	The greatest mage in the world. Hmmm... LD is 10, but otherwise he is equal to any High Elf wizard lord in statistics. Comes equipped with three items, so you can choose only one freely.
	Weaknesses	Why Teclis has to carry his sword in every battle is quite beoynd me. This boosts his PV by 100 points, and since he is not liable to see much H-T-H anyway, it is a complete waste. Even worse, it gulps up one out of his Magic Item total. Cannot ride anything. (Except on the picture in the cover!)
	Uses	In a conventional game where you calculate the point-cost total at the end of the battle, he can unleash the power of his staff in the very last magic phase, and blast away with increased power. If you need a mage with LD of 10, or want him to lead an infantry unit, he is naturally the best choice. Otherwise, take a normal Mage Lord.
ELTHARION	Yet another Elven Lord. Has pretty useless items, but luckily these can be changed. Hates goblins. A good sidekick for your general.
	Weaknesses	Usual elven soft spots. Easily countered.
	Uses	War Machine eater/Combat resolution booster/Goblin slayer. He is essential against goblins, especially if your opponent is going to field Grom.
IMRIK THE LORD OF DRAGONS	Stunningly beautiful model and an Elf Lord with WS 8 and I 10. Where did I see this before? An extra point of S would have been nice...Equipped with the Star Lance. Good for a charge, but after that...
	Weaknesses	Cannot ride anything else but a Dragon. (Well, good gaming groups can bang up house rules.) Has to take Star Lance. GRRRRR! Otherwise. a good and a reasonably cheap (pointswise!) character.
	Uses	With a dragon and suitably powerful magic items, Imrik is a good H-T-H fighter. My main trick, however, is to place him amongst the infantry and equip him with nice magical things. Also, when not mounted on a dragon, he does not have to take the Starblade Lance.

MONSTERS

It seems that the High Elf Mages have destroyed every single swarm in Ulthuan, which is a real pity, since these critters could hold the eneny up for a round or two while you shoot at your foes. On the other hand, you get the excellent unicorns, so you do not need Amulets of Fire and such to gulp up your magic-item total, and still you get 4+ dispell. Unicorns are also powerful and enduring fighters, and 90 points is not unreasonable. Great Eagle is also nice, for it is cheap and with WS 7 and S 5 it can fight pretty well. Manticores are always commendable, as are the dragons. The Dragonrage special rule has won me a battle now and then. Dragons are very expensive, though.

ALLIES

I feel very sorry, but 25% is the only way to go. Take Empire Knights instead of the Dragon Princes, and dwarves in order to field durable infantry. Empire and Dwarf War Machines are something you need. A runesmith with 3 runes of spellbreaking is an absolute must, so you can field much nicer magic items with your wizard. If you want to fight it out in Hand to Hand, you need flagellants, troll slayers, beastmasters and such. (Our gaming group allows only a single War Machine and one character per rank-and-file unit when choosing allies. This was suggested in WD#147, and we have found it an excellent rule. Who wants to fight with or against a 75% character/50% War Machines army?)

- Longsword