Dark Elf army book leaked

[Pip]

Everyone seen this?

This is looking like one great release for Dark Elf players - 8 new plastic kits! And the rules don't look too shabby either.

Lore of Dark Magic looks mean, but entirely offence-focused. I'd say that played well with the glass cannon approach they seem to have gone with for the rest of the army... if it weren't for the fact that they're getting all 8 rulebook lores too.

It's goodbye to the Pendant, though.

[underscore]

There's certainly not much in there that doesn't make me go 'ouch'. Just have to keep telling myself that they're all still just T3 Elves...

[fatolaf]

Compared to HE they are crazy overpowered (again)...

[cunningmatt]

Mustn't buy Dark Elves, mustn't buy Dark Elves, mustn't buy Dark Elves.

Booo

[The Trampoline]

Glad I have most of the models already, does look good though.

[Pip]

I think there might be upsides for non-DE players too. Haven't heard what the cauldron's defensive stats are Luke yet, but with it being pushed around by the unit it buffs it seems like we might have a fairer chance of countering it - send in something big and smashy and take out the wagon.

Hydra seems to have taken a hit (and a points hike) and Mr Tentacles don't seem particularly bent. Without phoenixes and easy ward saves for everyone and his dog I'm not sure they outshine HE. The new S4 Sallies are going to burn through Cauldron hordes like nobody's businesses.

[The Trampoline]

The old cauldron only gave one unit a ward save, you had to take more than one to grant multiple units ward saves and that only happened once at Tempest if I remembered right.

If you stick it in Witch Elves or Executioners (who through gaining asf are so much better since they strike at I5 now rather than last.) that unit will still have a 5 up ward. In fact it's so much better as it gives that ward whilst giving unit's withing 6 re-rolls to wound and the bound spell to give frenzy/increase attacks. The old cauldron could only do one thing a turn. People are going to moan about the new one a lot more.

Also sending in a big monster to smash it might not work as the elves will be going first and high strength of executioners or poison of witch elves means most people won't want to sacrifice their big monster like that.

Didn't sallies take a hit, no one is fielding them anymore, but with cheaper bolt throwers Dark Elves can shoot them off or magic missile them before they get near the horde units.

[Pip]

The ward save is nice, but it's damage mitgation rather than damage prevention. All I'm saying is that a horde (and it will be a horde pushing the cauldron) of unarmoured, T3, 20mm base, 12pt base cost models is going to be an excellent target for template weapons - and lots of other conventional weapons too.

(Sallies bad? They're no longer bent, but I think they're still one of our better picks. The switch of the template to S4 from S3 -3 AS really just makes them better against their prime target in 8th Ed. - infantry hordes)

On running monsters into the cauldron: unless you've got something on one of those massive bases, then by gunning for the cauldron you should only have corner contacts with rank-and-file models. Characters like scar-vets on cold ones (just drawing on LM examples because they're what I'm familiar with) can do the job even better.

Not saying it'll be easy - just that it'll be easier, and more engaging than before. A cauldron that has to be pushed around and is (presumably! oh please) no longer a T10 war machine is much more counterable than an unbreakable brick that sits at the back of the line.

[Jal]

Not true Pip - you have to maximise models - the best you can do is go corner to corner with the Cauldron

[The Trampoline]

The old cauldron could be taken out in combat pretty easily if tackled by the right unit. A scar vet could easily do it, it would just have taken a couple of turns.

I've ordered the new book, I'm looking forward to reading it and seeing all the changes and what's new. The only thing I was thinking was that with witch elves going to core will we see Corsairs anymore. They no longer have the frenzy banner either so witch elves will offer more attacks, benefit more from the cauldron's ward save and have poison. The only loss is the armour save. Maybe the fleetmaster will make them worth taking, however, Mr Ward and GW have this habit of making units redundant.