We published two editions of the

Dark Elves army book. This DRUCHII

article allows players who own
the first edition to update their
book with the changes that have
gone into the second edition.
REVISITED
An update for the Dark Elves

G
av: Being a Games Developer is the instant changes everywhere. And you players at www.Druchii.net, and feedback
one of the most entertaining and certainly don’t have a magic doo-dah that from players worldwide at events and
rewarding jobs you can have if means that everyone agrees on what the through the post, a few common factors
you’re into playing games. However, it’s changes are to be. Finally, you don’t became clear. Dark Elves could be a
not without its challenges. As a Games have infinite time and resources to make ‘competitive’ army, and showed well at
Developer you face one of the greatest sure that the changes are the right ones
challenges after a game, book or article tournaments. However, it became
to make. apparent that those armies were not
hits the shelves, because as soon as
something is in black and white, that’s it So that’s the heady decision I faced with using a sizeable proportion of the
and everyone is going to the Dark Elves revision. Thanks to the beautifully sculpted miniatures range.
have a chance to look at it,
pick it apart at their leisure
and analyse your every
decision…
Warhammer Armies: Dark Elves update
There was one overriding concern for the revision: to ensure that the modifications
So what do you do when, are straightforward and do not introduce any further contradictions with existing
after a couple of years, it rules or Q+A, and easy to implement and remember for players. In light of this, I
becomes more and more have focussed the update on what I perceive to be the most deserving cases.
evident that
something needs The updates are detailed below. If you want ‘cut & paste’ entries to stick into your
changing? You Dark Elves Armies book you can download them for free from our website at:
don’t have a www.games-workshop.com/white dwarf
magic wand
to make
• P7, 31, 80. Replace Black Guard for stupidity, or cancelling it out after
Hatred with Eternal Hatred: the first combat round, and so on. I
decided on the direct route of
Eternal Hatred: Black Guard are increasing their Leadership (as befits
vicious killers and hate elite Elven cavalry anyway) so that
everyone and everything. In players no longer have to include a
addition, hatred continues to Noble to ‘babysit’ the unit.
have an effect in second and
subsequent rounds of a combat. The Chariots change is to make it a
Gav: For the elite Black Guard, I more viable tactic to build some anti-
wanted to increase their abilities to stupidity redundancy into the army – I
match their points value, rather than could justify a Ld increase for the elite
reduce their points value to match heavy cavalry of the army, but I prefer
their existing abilities. Combined offering people a tactical option to
with the fact that they are stubborn, mitigate Chariot stupidity, rather than
and have a high Initiative, Eternal many of the suggestions that were put
Hatred makes engaging the Black forward such as Beastmaster special
Guard a daunting prospect. rules to re-roll or ignore stupidity
within a certain range.
• P8, 29, 80. Increase Ld of Cold
One Knights to 9. • P10. Add following to Frenzy rules
for Witch Elves:
• P29. Two Cold One Chariots may While frenzied Witch Elves still
be taken for a single Special hate High Elves although normally
choice. immune to psychology.
Gav: Stupidity is a factor of the army Gav: This makes Witch Elves tie-in with
– just like animosity is for Orcs and Dwarf Trollslayers with regard to their
Gobbos. I didn’t want to do anything psychology.
dull which would effectively make it
pointless giving certain things
stupidity in the first place. This way I • P10. Change line of first para of
hope that players who want to reduce Cauldron of Blood from “Any
the effect of stupidity can do so, shooting hits scored against the
without negating it totally. There unit are divided evenly between
were all kinds of suggestions here for the Guardians” to “Any shooting
Cold One Knights re-rolling their Ld hits scored against the unit are
randomised between the
Therefore, the primary goal of the update most easily implemented and special case, not least because as the
was not to increase the power of the remembered rules. There were many author of the book I was growing more
army significantly, but to allow players to more fine-tuning ideas but those will have unsatisfied with some of the
field a wider selection of their miniatures to be saved for when we get back to the opportunities that had been missed. All-
collection and feel that they were not Dark Elf Armies book in the future. The in-all, I’d rather we spent our time
somehow handicapping themselves by last thing I wanted to do with an update making sure that the next army, the
doing so. was to cause confusion amongst Bretonnians, are top notch, that the many
Warhammer players. The update itself is variant army lists planned for Storm of
The other major part of the update came given here, along with a few brief notes
about from inconsistencies that had Chaos are entertaining and challenging,
from myself on why the particular
developed between the rules and the and that we press on expanding the
changes were made.
miniatures. For example, an almost daily scope of Warhammer games rather than
clarion call could be heard for Har Since news of the Dark Elf revision has get bogged down revisiting the past. We
Ganeth Executioners to have heavy begun to spread, there have been constantly strive to improve, but there’s a
armour – the miniatures certainly have growing voices for us to revisit other time and a place for everything, and
heavy-looking armour. Armies books. One in particular, the High sometimes that isn’t just yet.
Elves, has had a great deal of ideas passed
So after much thought, conversations and back and forth. However, at the moment I We’ve asked the chaps at Druchii.net
exchanged e-mails with the guys at have no plans to revisit any of the other for their thoughts on how they went
Druchii.net, I had a list of errata (such as armies until we have the opportunity to about helping on this project, and what
the heavy armour thing) and a list of do a proper revision by updating the the revisions means to them as Dark
updates. In the end, I chose the simplest, book. I admit that the Dark Elves were a Elf players.

turn of casting, in their next Magic

phase, and then again in the Magic
phase after, assuming that you actually
charged into combat in your next
turn… Now it can be used to bolster a
unit already in combat.

• P19. Blood Armour, add “total

save” before 1+ in the last
sentence.

• P27. Give Beastmaster a light

armour option for +2 pts, and
sea dragon cloak option for +6
pts. Add lance option to
Beastmaster for +4 pts.
Gav: These now represent the
equipment on the Beastmaster model
and afford him extra protection
against enemy shooting.

• P30. Executioners have

heavy armour as standard, no
points change.
Gav: The most obvious change of all!
Of course they have heavy armour, just
look at ’em!
Executioners now have the armour their models suggest.
• P28. Decrease Dark Elf Warriors
Guardians and Cauldron in the war machine crews, skirmishers, etc, points to 7 points each.
same manner as war machines rather than just enemy Hero-level
(discounting any hits against the characters. This does mean that they can Gav: The most contentious and debated
Cauldron itself)”. also be deployed with a unit of Shades of the revisions, the Warriors points
(although not Hidden, of course). reduction was made in context of the
• P10. Increase range of Cauldron of whole army list, not just the individual
Blood’s Red Fury to 24". troop type, so cross-list comparisons
• P13, 31, 80. War Hydra Apprentices’
Gav: With increased range and a little aren’t necessarily useful. When putting
Movement increased to 6.
more protection against shooting, together 2,000 or 3,000 points for your
hopefully the Cauldron will stop being Gav: This gives them the same Movement army, investment in Warriors with
an arrow-magnet! Note that we will as their monster, which seems eminently spears (supposedly the core of a Dark
also change the Dwarf Anvil of Doom to sensible! Elf force) gives you a points break for
resolve shooting in the same way. other units, magic items, upgrades etc.
• P17. Word of Pain spell. Add, This means that one adjustment can be
• P11. Add to first para of Assassin “including units in combat” to the made, rather than half a dozen.
Hidden rule: “Alternatively, he may end of the second sentence.
Hopefully we’ll be seeing other kinds of
deploy as a Scout”. Gav: Because Word of Pain couldn’t be Dark Elves armies appearing on the
Gav: This just seemed sensible and cast into combat, this meant that the battlefield by the end of the year.
means that they can be used to pick on enemy had a chance to dispel it on the

56
 DRUCHII.NET
It was a great day for Dark Elf players when Gav agreed that
we at Druchii.net could work with him to make some much
needed amendments to the Dark Elf army list. Many Dark Elf
players and their opponents were in agreement that the list
had some areas which needed to be addressed to make the
army more fluid, and to make the whole range of Dark Elf
units viable choices. After all, the Druchii have some of the
best looking miniatures in the game!
The project itself was administered on Druchii.net with regular
communication with Gav via e-mail and the odd meeting or
two in Bugman’s (where we thrashed out the merits of casting
Word of Pain into combat), and a great number of players,
both Druchii and their opponents, were given the opportunity
to both voice their opinions about what changes were most
necessary and to playtest suggested changes.
PUTTING IT ALL The end result of this year-long project you now see before you. The ‘Petition
INTO PRACTICE team’ at Druchii would like to thank all those who took the time to help out, from
So, now you’ve seen what the updates the many posters and play-testers at Druchii.net, to the hundreds of posters all
are, but how do they affect Dark Elves over the internet and most of all to those at Games Workshop, who were a
on the field of battle? We’ve asked pleasure to work with.
Caillin Langmann, moderator from Gary Moore AKA Dark Alliance, Admin on Druchii.net
Druchii.net, to give us an insight on
what these changes mean to Dark Elf
lords.
races, the Dark Elves can field a large reflects the background as the Corsair is
Caillin: Most Dark Elf players prefer to contingent of well-trained Warriors. supposed to be rarer than the Warrior
play their armies in an agile and Knowing this, and being conniving and and more specialised for assault.
offensive style because expensive T3 heartless, a Dark Elf general should not
troops cannot afford to constantly suffer be afraid to sacrifice a unit of Warriors Here is a simple tactic to take out a
attrition each round. for the greater good of the race. Alas, in more powerful unit that can be
game terms, who would sacrifice a unit effectively employed with the Warrior
of Warriors when, for the same price, unit. Prepare a bait unit of 10 Warriors
WARRIORS you could buy a Corsair unit to use for for 70 points. Place them in front of
When considering the obvious flanking? another 10 to 15 Warriors with shields
advantages of each core troop type, for 80 to 120 points. Add a third unit of
Dark Riders and Corsairs seemed to be Seven point Warriors fit the background 10 Corsairs with full command or 5
the most effective choice whilst the and the game mechanics perfectly. Now Dark Riders, or even a heavier hitting
Warrior equipped with a shield, costing each Core unit has a role. Warriors are a elite unit on the flank of the Warriors
the same as a Corsair, never really decent group of fighters (WS4), quick with shields. Our rapid movement can
seemed to have a place. The Corsair, (I5) and effective in battle, yet more allow us to set up a flank charge on a
with two Attacks on the charge, a 5+ defensive in nature as expected from more powerful enemy by marching our
Armour save (4+ vs shooting) was trained citizen militia. Warriors cover a bait unit right up to the front of the
clearly the most advantageous choice, broad diversity of roles from large enemy providing him with almost no
even if you thought that you might get blocks of rank boosting units to small choice but to charge the bait or get
charged. units for feints and sacrifices on the outmaneouvred. The bait unit will surely
battlefield. This also has beneficial be run down, but if you have placed
Consider the army background. The effects on other units. Small units your shield Warriors correctly, he will
Warrior is the mainstay of the Dark Elf of Corsairs, resistant to being overrun into them. Now it is your turn
army. Each Dark Elf citizen spends his or reduced by enemy shooting, and you can charge in with the flanking
her life training for battle and thus can serve as rapid flankers unit of your choice, negating his ranks
even with a relatively smaller when teamed up with larger and gaining a flank bonus. This can
population than some of the other units of Warriors. This also usually be enough to win combat
depending on which flankers you have
chosen to use. If he holds after chasing
off your bait, you should be able to
charge in with the shield Warriors and
The Cauldron of flank in with your flanking unit provided
Blood is more potent you have moved properly.
with the new update. Variations of this tactic can be employed
using the now cheaper Warriors armed
with repeater crossbows, Warriors that
can be used as both your bait and to
harass the enemy with shooting.
In the context of the Warrior, the other
elite units get that much better. Nothing
gives better frontal charge support than
a Chariot. Combine the Chariot charge
with that of a unit of Warriors, even
repeater crossbow armed Warriors with

56 DRUCHII REVISITED
 With their lower points cost Dark Elf Warriors should form the basis of most Dark Elf armies.

shields, and you have a recipe for missiles. Moreover he can carry a lance the subtle and lithe way of Elves instead
mayhem. Now that Chariots are a two for a devastating two WS4 S5 attacks! of the brute strength of the other races,
for one Special choice, you can bring Hitting most enemy units in the rear and we felt that was perfect.
two into a game and reduce the effects with this negates all his ranks, and likely
of stupidity. causes enough wounds to break them! CAULDRON OF BLOOD
You can take him and a Highborn on a The Cauldron was rarely used, as all
Manticore as well in a 2,000 points game
EXECUTIONERS causing terror and the collapse of the
missile fire hit the Guardians, meaning it
Executioners are an excellent flanking could be taken out very easily by
enemy early in the game. Evil.
unit. They hit hard and are capable of shooting. Add to that its limited range of
bringing down even Knights. However only 18" and you can see why Dark Elf
they were very vulnerable (T3 and only a COLD ONE KNIGHTS generals left it at home. Now with a 24"
6+ Armour save). Now they have heavy How frustrating is stupidity? Enough range and shooting randomised, you can
armour, making them more resilient to that the deadly Cold One Knight place this in the forefront of your army
those pesky S3 shooting or close combat requires constant babysitting by at least and expect to reap the rewards.
attacks. Bring a small unit of 10 into a Noble in order not to be rendered
Re-rolling wounds with every unit can
battle and team them with Warriors and stupid two turns in every game! Now
mean the difference between the enemy
you have flankers that can damage even your Cold One Knights have Leadership
9 and do not require a Noble, meaning making or failing his Combat Resolution
Chaos Warriors and will crush Dwarfs rolls.
and other such rabble with certainty. Put you can take more than one unit into a
the Banner of Murder on them and game and use them to provide support.
watch your enemy be stunned as they Smash through enemy units, such as ROUNDING OFF…
flank him when he thought he was out Empire detachments, to get behind the Finally, let’s consider some of the more
of range! enemy and equip them with the Banner subtle changes. The Word of Pain spell
of Murder so they can get the jump on can now be cast into combat. Previously,
most enemy knights in the game. In if you wanted to affect a close combat
BEASTMASTERS terms of background, Cold One Knights round, you had to cast the spell the turn
The Hydra is capable of setting up flank have no sensation due to the poison of before charging the enemy. Not good
charges now as well. This beast with 5 the Cold One. Therefore feeling no when they get three attempts to dispel
WS4 S5 attacks combined with 4 more wounds and being of noble birth, it, two of which are at the basic casting
WS4 S3 attacks is the perfect assault fleeing from battle is beneath them. Ld9 value. Now you can charge with a unit
unit. Now that the Apprentices can reflects this well. and then cast Word of Pain into the
move as fast as the Hydra, your beast combat causing the enemy to stumble in
with a 12" march and 6" move can be in
the right place at the right time, and the BLACK GUARD battle before you (you hit on 3s and
To many the Black Guard are the most they hit on 5s!).
Apprentices can charge as far as the
Hydra meaning that they get into beautiful man-sized models in the game. Tired of enemy mages hiding in forests,
combat right away. With a large charge Now they are even more potent in battle beside units, or war machines? The
arc and mobility, the Hydra can support as well. When your Black Guard are hit Assassin can now be deployed behind
more than one unit at a time. hard by knights, Eternal Hatred will enemy lines singly or in a unit of Shades
allow them to re-roll all misses on (he cannot be hidden in Shades but can
Speaking of flanking, a Beastmaster on a subsequent rounds meaning that you join that unit). With a charge of 12" the
Manticore is quite capable of getting get the combined benefits of hatred and Assassin can outmanoeuvre any single
behind enemy lines, causing terror and stubborn instead of usually one or the character, chasing the wretch down. Also
wheeling about to charge the enemy in other. Moreover Eternal Hatred makes he can charge into a war machine crew
the rear. However, the Beastmaster was them more survivable since you tend to and, with the help of some Shadow
quite vulnerable to shooting, and when strike first, and now cause more hits magic, maybe even on the first turn!
he was killed the Manticore didn’t have each round. Each kill means one less
the Unit Strength to negate ranks. Now enemy to hit back at you, which for T3 With some simple changes, the Dark Elf
with light armour and a sea dragon Elves makes all the difference. That’s army becomes more deadly, subtle, and
cloak the Beastmaster has a 4+ Armour better than armour if you ask us! Eternal maneouvrable than ever before. We
save against shooting and magic Hatred makes the Black Guard deadly in couldn’t ask for more than that.