Email In: Dark Elf List Help

Email In:

Hi there,  my name is Isaac chiang and am a big fan of your blog.  Found it when I was starting up dark elves and found it informative and helpful.  Now if I may, I would like to ask you for some help making a 2000 point list.  Its for a tourny and I know it won't be straight up beat your opponent.  There will be some objectives that does not emphasize winning at all costs, though I know there will be some players like that attending.  The armies I will be most likely facing will be Tomb Kings, Orcs and Goblins, Wood Elves, Vampire Counts, Ogres, and Chaos Warriors.  I enjoy using magic a lot and this is a list of models I have available.  I know it is a bit much asking you for help making a list but am hitting some serious writer's block haha.

Supreme sorceress on dark pegasus

3 sorceress models

5 shades

1 assassin

3 chariots

1 War hydra

20 Black guard

1 Cauldron

20 Corsairs

10 RXB

27 Warriors with spears

5 Cold one knights

10 Dark Riders

and a box of un-built warriors

Initial idea was to have 2 units of 10 crossbows, 25 spears, 18 blackguard, sorceress on foot and supreme sorceress on pegasus, cauldron, 5 riders, and 6 shades.  I am trying to make a good list out of what I have and trying not to buy any more at the moment.  Again, thanks for any advice you could give and thank you for your time.

Max me out!

This will be tough.  You have a lot of one-ofs.  That makes creating a focused tournament list rather tough, but you have some decent stuff.  I know you say you don’t want to buy anymore models, but quite frankly, you need a second Hydra.  There is no question about that.  Your initial list is basically a battleforce with some super trashy units. 

So here is what we are going to do…  The box of unbuilt warriors will go 3 into spear dudes, the rest into RXB.  You’re buying a Hydra; expensive but you’ll have to deal with that.

This I see you making best is a foot horde, heavy magic based around Ockham’s Mindrazor.  As you’ll see, there are no bad Mindrazor targets in the entire list.  Even if someone is in combat with your Warriors, they will be Str 8 Init 5, with Hatred.  Not bad.  And woe to someone who gets charged by a Mindrazored ADH Corsair unit with SSS or Blackguard.

Supreme Sorceress L4 on foot Lore of Shadow Lifetaker Sac Dagger

315

Sorceress on foot L2 Lore of Shadow Tome of Furion

150

Cauldron BSB

225

30 Spear Warriors with flaming banner

199

20 Corsairs with SSS and ADH

240

20 Blackguard with Banner of Murder

306

2x Chariots

200

2x War Hydra

350

=1,985

So the nuts and bolts.  You have a horde magic bunker of Warriors using Power of Darkness and Sac Dagger to power out all your spells every turn.  You should actually WANT low power dice, so your opponent will have very little to dispel with.  In any event, the key to your turn will be when you cast Ockham’s on the unit of choice.  That unit should win combat with ease and make your life easy.

Your Corsairs should be in front of the bunker moving forward as fast as possible.  The Cauldron should be right behind the bunker spreading BSB love to the left flank and center.

Left flank should be monster mash, two chariots and two Hydra.  Remember, a Mindrazor’ed chariot has Str 8 impact hits.  Right flank will be held down by the Stubborn Blackguard

A lot of threatening targets.  Is your opponent going to ignore your nasty infantry to focus on Hydra’s?  Or ignore chariots and Hydras?  Tough decisions.

The only thing I worry about is the vulnerability to warmachines since you have a lot of big infantry units.  Not much you can do about that, but many of the opponents you’ll be playing against don’t have many warmachines and the ones who (OnG) I suspect won’t be maxing them out if their collections resemble yours.

Remember too, that even though Mindrazor is your #1 gameplan, there are times and opponents where Pit of Shades will be your big spell.  Against them, be sure to use Mindrazor as a bluff to draw out their dispel dice before you toss a Pit of Shades onto their horde of Savage Orcs.

Good luck, hope this helps.  Lemme know how it works out for you. 

Thoughts?