The 9th Age/Tactics/Dread Elves
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The fair use The 9th Age expy of the Dark Elves of Warhammer Fantasy. Beta update coming soon...
Why play Dread Elves
- very minitersitic
- greek
- Lots of strong Synergies between units, with many troops giving buff to other troops, turning a glasscannon army into a spicky, wooden, Railgun.
Tactics
The tactics are current as of second edition.
Army Rules
Universal Rules
Academy Training if more than half of models have this rule. Several parties, Reduces the rank bonus of units it engaged in melee with bt -1, in addition to gaining +1" to charge distance and count as having one more full range while within 8" of another unit with this rule.
Hunting Bolas Enemies that break from combat from a model with this rule, Minimize their flee roll.
Professional Courtesy assassins can't be in the same units.
Scent of Blood The model gains Frenzy and Fearless in close combat and gains +1" when charging a unit that doesn't have a full health pool. Only available on your raptor models and some monsters makes them more likely to not pursue after winning combat and being caught out. It will also help them not lose combat from fear, which is unlikely due to your high discipline elves, but ensures you won't lose for any stupid reasons.
Attack Attributes
Ruthless Efficiency Close combat attacks gain +1 to wound during the first round of combat. All of your elves to a model have this special rule. Dread Elves are scary close combat monsters because of this rule, anyone unlucky enough to be in melee with you will be getting trashed. Because this is a modifier to the wound roll, not to strength or resilience, even if your opponent is resilience 10 you're going from 6s to wound to 5s.
Artistry of Death Close combat attacks gain +1 to wound.
Armory
Kraken's Hide Armour Equipment The bearer gains +1 armor if on foot. Your characters can have a 2+ on foot before any armor enchantments or other defensive buffs. Your elves are far tankier than any elf should be allowed to be.
Repeater Crossbow Shooting Weapon range: 18", shots: 1, str 3, AP 0, becomes shoot(3) if in short range. Your standard shooting weapon, Ok range given your an elf, and hit more like a normal bow, but gets 3 shots when within 9". Walk up quick and start shooting with your nutty elven to-hit for a 14" threat range.
Repeater Handbow(x) Shooting Weapon range: 12", shots: X, str 3, AP 1, Quick to Fire, Accurate. Shorter range but has AP but is effective at all ranges even when moving. Available on your Black Cloaks and Assassin.
Blades of Doraic Close Combat Weapon Two-Handed, +1A, Magical Attacks. If the model's unit is currently affected by a non-Attribute Spell, then they also gain +1 Str.
Hereditary Spell
Curse of the Phantom Queen (Cv +8) Hex, Hexes an enemy unit, if they deal damage they take 1 S4 Ap4 Ap2 hit.
Unit Analysis
Characters
Dread Prince 240pts. A wild number of attacks at an amazing offensive skill and incredible agility makes him scary to look at, now add in the dread elf options to make him stupid tanky and the normal elf options for killing everything and you have one of the best characters in the game, now can even make parry attacks. But don't just think that you can throw him anywhere, he is still an elf with a pitiful resilience and bog-standard HP. If you play smart with him, there is no reason he won't do plenty of work.
Beastmaster 210pts. your monster support hero, and monster rider lord. not as point efficient powerful as a Prince but very tanky wearing a Kraken’s Hide and Can't be stomped. including himself when mounted on a Menagerie, He is very helpful in a monster list, giving your critters a boost in their Discipline Tests and improving their stomping.
Legion Legate 170pts. The kid prince with all the same options but with mildly worse attacks, offensive/defensive skill, and agility. Play smart with him and he will make his points back. A BSB isn't necessarily required for your high discipline elves, but his Academy Training is a greater help for armies and detachments without that aura.
Temple Legate: 280pts. Your battle-ready wizard, and is decent there. Must pick between Divination and be hard to hit when wielding Blades of Darag, or Alchemy and make enemies with 4+ armour to be easier to injure when you have the blades
Warlock Outcast 380pts. Your Wizard master, a great selection of magic paths, and irresistible will make this caster a pain in the ass for your opponent. He still has Ruthless Efficiency so he can hold his own in combat, it'll take more than any common flankers to assassinate your wizard.
Silent Assassin 180pts. about the same price as a captain but exists to murder in melee. You will be giving him paired weapons, beyond that, it's up to you how much you want to blow on him. Enemies can't avoid him because he teleports into any unit to get him to his target.
Character Mounts
Elven Horse Quick, tanks up your character, and better agility than most army's core troops. A great choice for any character.
Raptor Slower than the horse or Pegasus, but most certainly worth it. Attacks on par with your elite infantry and a boost to res to boot. Don't plan on your raptor hitting anything first.
Blackmane Pegasus Slower than the horse, but can fly. Less armor, but bumps your res up to 4. You won't be able to hide the character but is handy for a mobile character of any sort.
Raptor Chariot Look above, now add another raptor, more health, and impact hits. You won't be able to hide your character anywhere, but you'll move fast enough to murder things if you plan well.
Manticore A monster to ride on. Slightly faster than the raptor chariot with better attacks and the same downsides. It's up to you which one you run with, the manticore and the raptor chariot fulfill the same role, it really comes down to which models you like more.
Dragon It's a dragon, does what you expect. Pretty strong for what he is and decent value. If you play it be aware that every shooting weapon on the other side of the table will be looking at it and plan accordingly.
Core
Dread Legionnaires 200pts for 15 + 14ppm. Better offensive/defensive skill than most core and move at a significantly faster pace. thier Academy Training aura also makes them at least a one off must in many lists.
Temple Militants 265pts for 15 + 16ppm. A Flurry of attacks, getting Battle Focus, Fight in Extra Rank, and Blades of Darag. They are scary core troops in melee, the only issue is getting them into melee. Only Light Arm and 3 Res for defenses with Frenzy dragging them into unproductive matchups. Make sure you have the means to get them into melee if you're going to run them.
Raiding Party - Beast Breaker 170pts for 10 + 14ppm. Your kickass elf pirate beast hunters. Legionnaires Cannot be Stomped and efficient at eliminating enemy units that flee from combat. Also Synergizes with cav units by giving them Devastating Charge (Hatred).
Shadow Riders 235pts for 8 + 20ppm. becomes core if unit size is 8 or more.
Core + Raiders
Raiding Party - Corsair: 190pts for 10 + 14ppm. Your kickass elf pirates. Legionnaires with a +1 more armour Instead of a shield. Give them paired and Throwing weapons to dump truck everyone else. Expensive for a small unit but they provide an additional +1 Combat Score in addition to other bonuses that already acure from them flanking may be worth it to edge out that victory.
Legion Auxiliaries230pts for 15 + 13ppm. Are fully mobile, having March and Shoot to get into short range with repeater crossbow and well protected being Legionnaires with guns and can niminate an enemy to be -1 to hit a Legionnaire they charged.
Raiders
Raven Cloaks (Cult of Cadaron) +1 to hit on your auxiliaries and comparable defenses. If you want a full gunline, this is the way to go. With scout and the options for melee weapons they can be surprisingly scary flankers.
Special
Shadow Riders 175pts for 5 + 20ppm. Your misdirection annoyance cavalry. They still be given repeater crossbow so they can full-power shooting from stupid angles but eat into Rider allowance.
Warlock Acolytes 210pts for 5 + 30ppm. Small units of fast cavalry wizard conclave with great support spells, and aegis that imprvoves by each non-Attribute Spell they are affected by. You can run them to buff/hex other units and support the rest of your army, or switch to attack mode by placing some agents and hexes to boost up their defense and Strength.
Tower Guard (Cult of Olaron) Bodyguards. Two attacks a model and halberds make them scary. They will be hitting most other units on 2+ and str 4 will help them grind through other units. If the general is Cult of Olaron one unit of tower guard can take 2 standards up to 100 points, essentially another BSB.
Dread Knights Each base is essentially the same stats as three Dread Judges. They are expensive but will make their points back with their nutty amount of attacks and maneuverable unit size.
Raptor Chariot Cheaper than a unit of dread knights but gets you essentially two dread knights with impact hits and repeater crossbows. A handy unit and certainly a strong choice, but it will be out on its own soaking up a lot of shots.
Harpies Dirt cheap and fast, defenseless and insignificant. Don't expect them to do much, but make great meatshields by being in inconvenient positions for your opponent.
Dread Judges (Cult of Nabh) Pretty buff elves with lethal strike and multiple wounds (2 vs standard). Most standard models will only have 1 HP anyways, but lethal strike makes them rough to fight and scary for some armies (WDG).
Dancers of Yema (Cult of Yema) Incredibly fast, weapon master with an incredible number of weapons, and aegis (4+ in melee). Get them into melee and they will tarpit until the game ends.
Medusa (Cult of Yema) A single model of Cult of Yema with a good amount of attacks, very fast, and will not break in combat. They make great support units, they cast deceptive glamour as a bound spell and give bonuses to friendly units in the same combat. Give them halberds to make the most of their attacks and watch out for supernal, if combat doesn't go their way they will crumble.
Divine Altar A large support tank. Pitiful armor for its size but Aegis (4+) and res 5 will keep it alive. It also buffs all units within 12" with Aegis (6+). Having one of these will make all your stupid defenseless units have a chance against anything. This aegis can be swapped out for a turn to maximize charge rolls or give units death trance. A flexible support unit and will be a boon in any list.
Destroyers
Hunting Chariot A quick chariot with a harpoon on it. This is the biggest "fuck you" to any monster your opponent could possibly field, especially flying monsters. A dread reaper is more flexible, but if your opponent wants to monster mash this is a great choice.
Dread Reaper A flexible war machine, can fire 1 strong shot with multiple wounds or fire 6 weaker shots. No matter what it's pointed at it will do the job.
The Menagerie
There are only two things in The Menagerie and they are better reviewed together. Your options are the Kraken and the Hydra. Both are gigantic beasts that cost around the range of 400 points each. They have the same movement and defensive stats, but the Kraken will be harder to hit with distracting and hard target and the Hydra is more survivable with Fortitude (4+). The Kraken has fewer attacks than the Hydra, but the hits are at strength 7 and multiple wounds (d3). The Hydra has more attacks at a decent strength and a breath attack to harass nearby enemies. The choice is up to you which one to run, the Kraken is better at killing big single models, it's a monster hunting monster, the Hydra is better for stomping big units.
Magic Items
Weapon Enchantments
Death's Kiss on foot and great weapons only. +1 str/ap and multiple wounds (2). A great choice, will be very consistent for your character and will scare anything from getting too close to him.
Transcendence The weapon gains lethal strike, but that's not why you take it. For each unsaved wound inflicted by this weapon it gains +1 str/ap for the rest of the game (capped at +2). A win more option, your already scary characters will only get scarier as the game goes on.
Moraec's Reaper The wielder's attacks are always at least 4, str at least 4, AP at least 3, gains death trance, and for each unsaved wound this model inflicts you gain a veil token. A strong choice for its cost and works great on your spellcasters to make them scary in combat, your characters will have better attacks/str/and ap than the weapon offers.
Armor Enchantments
Terrifying Visage Shields, the bearer gains distracting. Your characters already have great armor, making them unlikely to be hit is the perfect defensive bonus.
Seal of the Republic Does nothing at the start of the game, but for each unsaved wound the wearer deals in melee they gain +1 armor for the rest of the game. Another win more option, but you need the armor for first turn shooting, not for turn 5 combat.
Banner Enchantments
Banner of Gar Daecos all friendly units in the same combat as the wielder gains death trance. Helps your flank chargers break the enemy on first turn.
Banner of Blood models in the bearer's unit gain devastating charge (+1 attack). Incredibly powerful for obvious reasons. You should plan on breaking your enemies on the charge and this banner will make that happen.
Academy Banner +1 AP during the first round of combat. Elves tend to have trouble punching through tougher models, but this is essentially a better rending standard to help you do just that.
Artefacts
Midnight Cloak The wearer has devastating charge (multiple wounds (d3)) and Aegis (3+ vs ranged attacks). Helps your character stay alive out on the field and helps them murder when they close in.
Pendant of Disdain The bearer gains Aegis (4+ vs strength 5 or more). Situational, but is the biggest middle finger to armies like ogre khans.
Ring of Shadows all models in the bearer's unit gain hard target and enemy attacks suffer -1 offensive skill. Helps your blades of nabh get into melee.
Beastmaster's Lash Friendly gigantic models nearby get to maximize the number of stomps roll. Enemy gigantic models minimize their stomp rolls. If you even have one monster, this item is worth it.
Wandering Familiar The bearer can drop the familiar up to 6" away and cast spells from the familiar's location. Your wizard can hide behind obscuring terrain and blast the shit out of your opponent from around the corner.
Amulet of Spite Before each friendly magic phase you gain a magic die, before each enemy magic phase you discard a magic die. Helps your magic do its thing better, you shouldn't worry too much about losing out on a single die for dispells, pick one spell your opponent has and throw all dice at that one. Will help you blast magic phases to the next level.
Elixer of Shadows one use only, assassin only. for one round of combat the bearer gains divine attacks and rerolls failed to wound rolls in melee, but loses 1 health at the end of the phase. Helps your assassin do their jobs faster at the cost of killing them a little.
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