Editing Warhammer/Tactics/8th Edition/Dark Elves (section)

===Special Units===
* '''Shades:''' Lots of players have mixed opinions about Shades. While they might seem expensive they are really mobile with decent stats and Scout rules (they can even march and shoot). In low point games they will pretty much win your battles for you. Shades should be used as warmachine and lone wizard hunters. They can also be used to harass enemy flanks, but sending them into combat is a dicey proposition since the enemy can split their attacks, but it can help turn important combats around. 5 man units will generally fail, but 10 man units can do wonders against the right opponent. Surprisingly killy and versatile with great weapons.

* '''Harpies:''' Harpies got a serious kick in the cooch in this version. They can Panic friendly units when they flee now and their job as warmachine hunters/charge blockers is done better by Shades and Dark Riders.  Their only real use is if you need maneuverable chaff, otherwise skip them.

* '''Executioners:''' Chaos Warriors getting you down? Bretonnians resisting all your attempts to move them? Need someone with high Strength to knock out a Monster? Then take Executioners. High Strength and Killing Blow make these guys a powerful unit. Be careful where you put them though, at T3, with a 5+ Save, they can be very easy to shoot to death. With the update, ASF cancels out Great Weapons, allowing them to strike at S6 at I5. Oh and re-rolls of 1 To Wound is pretty brutal for a unit that'll be Wounding anything T4 or below on a 2+. So yeah, these guys are now some of your best shock troops.  

* '''Cold One Knights:''' A good enough flanking unit when the chips are down and can even charge smaller units head-on in a pinch. Cheap heavy cavalry is always welcome. They're 30 points a model, but the riders gained ASF and Murderous Prowess while the mounts gained an extra Attack so it sort of balances out.  It helps that their models are GORGEOUS (they ride fucking DINOSAURS) and they have an exceptionally brutal statline, with LD9 more than making up for Stupidity. Be careful though, heavy cavalry took the hard end of the Nerfstick in 8th edition, so don't send them straight into a ranked enemy unit. Also, Stupidity makes a unit Immune to Psychology, so don't forget it.  Take in small units for flanking and they'll reward you with your enemies' blood and your opponent's tears. Good with Enchanted Blades of Aiban as it means they hit even elite units on 3s and have -4 rend. This means use against Dwarves and Chaos and drink tears.

* '''Cold One Chariots:''' Quite good as far as Chariots go. It's highly resistant to damage and while once in a while Stupidity will prevent you from making that charge you need to, its low cost and high Ld keep that from happening too often or hurting too much when it does. Keep it someplace it can't be charged and use it to flank in a tight moment. Not precisely the Black Coach as far as Chariots go, but can be extremely useful. Also, [[Awesome|it's a chariot pulled by DINOSAURS]][silly warmbloods, still not as cool as the Lustrians].

* '''Black Guard:''' An anvil that survives not by resisting the enemy, but killing them first. They're easy to damage unfortunately, but they hit hard (15 always rerollable S4 attacks for 2 ranks of 5) and they. Do. Not. Break! They cost 15 points a model now, but gain ASF and can re-roll failed Wound rolls of 1 with Murderous Prowess, so they hit even harder than before.  They also have no upper limit to unit size to sweeten the pot. For a 15 point magic banner from the main rulebook they can be Ld10 Stubborn or take a Flaming banner on them and they WILL take off an Abomination or a Hydra on the charge. A great anvil unit, apart from T3 and 5+ Armor. Buff them if you can. If you can fit them in and already have Executioners, do it. Earth Blood and Flesh to Stone from Life, Wyssan's Wildform from Beasts, or Glittering Robe from Metal can help them survive.

* '''Reaper Bolt Thrower:''' Often ignored, but a solid choice in its own right. As with all Bolt Throwers, it's good at taking out heavy cavalry and low Wound Monsters. Unlike all other Bolt Throwers (except for High Elves, who have the same exact unit) it can also be pretty good at taking out infantry. Stick it next to your Repeater Crossbowmen and help them shred units one at a time. Almost mandatory to only-refuse-them-if-you-want-to-lose in any Dark Elf army. 

* '''War Hydra:''' Any bitch-fest about Dark Elves will bring up these guys. 160 points. Its Attacks are equal to 3 plus its remaining Wound total. So at full Wounds it's pumping out 8 Attacks and a Thunderstomp after that. 5 Wounds. S and T 5. Thunderstomp. Can buy a Breath Weapon with S4 and a Ranged Attack with 8" range, with number of shots and S being its remaining Wounds. Lost its Regeneration but now rolls a die at the end of your turn for each lost Wound and regains it on a 4+. This thing EATS. UNITS! Your ultimate flanking unit that can also double as a frontline unit and you can take 2 in a 1500 point game if you want to drink your opponent's tears. Any unit charged by this should roll for [[anal circumference]].  The Dark Elf solution to hordes. Use them against infantry to bring the pain, and take one whenever you can. 3 of these also running straight down the centre could be very useful in an all horse list... or most lists for that matter! I recommend a Life or Beasts caster with them, Flesh to Stone makes them T7, which is fantastic making sure great weapons don't kill them, and the Lore of Beast's signature spell gives them the S and T of a midtier dragon. Birona's Timewarp is also an excellent spell to use on a Hydra, giving it a 12" movement range and ASF, as well as an extra attack. If you need speed and have trouble with I4+ things (Bear in mind, the Hydra is I4, so while ASF will mean Elves don't get rerolls against it, they still hit first), this is a great spell. 

*'''Scourgerunner Chariot:''' Lighter Chariot ridden by 2 Beastmasters and pulled by horses. Comes with a Ravager Harpoon: a S7 Bolt Thrower that can be fired on the move, but no Multi-Shot and it doesn't ignore Armor (though at S7 it's not likely anyone'll get a Save from it unless you try to Penetrate Ranks with the thing). If it causes an unsaved Wound on a Monster it gets dragged D6" towards the Chariot. If it goes over 3" it takes a second Wound with no Saves. Note, many of the monsters you want to kill with it are more maneuverable as they can fly. It cannot Stand And Shoot with the harpoon, but adding a Beastmaster Character can make it BS7.  As is, it's overpriced for what it does and competes with other much better choices (for one of these you can get two Reapers which can do the same job but better).  Leave it out unless it's a fluffy army, and even then its use is only recommended to veteran Dark Elf players who'll use it to get some flank shots.