One More Time - High Elves 7.5

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Marwynn
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:43 am

One More Time - High Elves 7.5

#1 Post by Marwynn »

One More Time
I make no promises about the power level balance of these ideas nor the overall effect it'll have on the game.

Like many of you I wanted to see the High Elves BE High Elves for once and not rely on a few tricks to see them through. Did it make sense for the most magically-inclined race in Warhammer to not be magically prolific?

I've added some hopefully minor things that I believe aren't that crazily overpowered. But they do add flavour.


Army Wide Rules

Martial Prowess: Fights in extra rank with Spears on foot, shoots in two ranks with Bows of any type on foot or mounted on Elven Steeds.

Arcane Heritage: All Core units that have standard bearers may carry a 25-point magic banner. Special and Rare units, if they have a standard bearer can carry a 50-point magic banner. Special Unit Champions can purchase 25 point magic items.

Valour of the Ages: Reroll Psychology tests against Dark Elves and Daemon units.



CORE

High Elf Warrior: 7 points
Light Armour, Hand Weapon, Army Wide Rules
Unit Size 10+
Has access to Citizen Armoury

The Citizen Levies
Spearmen: +2 points
- Gains Spear, Shield
- Gains Expertise: Spears are treated like Pikes when charged from the front, offering limited ASF.

Archers: +3 points
- Gains Longbow, WS reduced to 3
- Gains Support Fire: Archers may declare a stand-and-shoot reaction for a friendly unit within 3`` that is being charged as if it were itself being charged. Count distance from Archers, must have range and LoS. Cannot be used if Archers are in Close Combat or are charged themselves (may declare standard reactions if so).
Upgrade: WS4 +1 point


CITIZEN ARMOURY
Spear: +1 point
Shield: +1 point
Halberd: +1 point
Great Weapon: +2 points
Bow: +2 points
Longbow: +4 points
Elven Steed: +8 points (minimum unit size reduced to 5+)



The Standing Army
Lothern Sea Guard: +4 points
- Gains Bow, Shield
- Gains Waves in Motion: Unit ignores movement penalty for shooting. May shoot after marching. When charging with Spears may attack with 3 ranks.
Upgrade: Spears +1 point

Silver Helms: +15 points
- Gains Heavy Armour, Lance, Elven Steed
- Unit Size 5+
- Gains Propriety: Nobility requires an audience. May only have as many Silver Helms and Adepts as there are combined Spearmen, Archers, and Lothern Sea Guard. Does not count as a minimal Core unit.
Upgrade: Shields +1 point, Barding +2 points

Adepts: +8 points
- Loses Light Armour, Ld reduced to 7, Close Combat attacks count as magical
- Unit Size 5-20
- Gains Magic Missiles: Casts 1d6 S3 magic missiles for every 5 Adepts, 24" range and max 3d6. Counts as a bound spell with power level 3 plus 1 for every 5 Adepts, max power level 6.
- Gains Mystical Defense: Unit passively gains 1 Magic Resistance equal to every 5 Adepts, max MR3. May be cast at a friendly unit within 18" instead of Magic Missiles, with the same power level of Magic Missiles. Adept unit loses Magic Resistance until next magic phase.
- Gains Mysteriousness: May only have as many Adepts and Silver Helms as there are combined Spearmen, Archers, and Lothern Sea Guard. Does not count as a minimal Core unit.



SPECIAL

The Elite Forces
Sword Masters of Hoeth: 15 points
- Gains Heavy Armour, Great Weapon, +1 Attack, +2 WS
- Gains Always Strike First.
- Gains Magical Defense: Unit passively gains Magic Resistance equal to rank bonus.

Phoenix Guard: 16 points
- Gains Heavy Armour, Halberd, +1 Init, +1 WS
- Gains Fated: 4+ Ward and Immune to Psychology

White Lions of Chrace: 15 points
- Gains Heavy Armour, +1 Strength, White Lion Cloak, Woodsman's Axe, +1 WS
- Gains Stubborn and Woodsmen.
- White Lion Cloak: +2 against all missile attacks
- Woodsman's Axe: +2 Strength, not Great Weapon

Rangers: 14 points
- Gains Bow, +1 WS, +1 BS
- Gains Scout and Skirmishers
Upgrades:
Sons of Shadow: Gains Longbow, second Hand Weapon, Nagarythe Hatred (applies to Chaos too). +3 points
Gladeborne: Gain Spear, Shield, may replace Skirmishers with Woodsmen. +3 points
Wyrmgard: Gain Halberd, Longbow. +2 points
Longbow: +2 points
Second Hand Weapon: +1 point


The Swift Slayers
Tiranoc Light Chariot: 90 points
- 2 Elven Steeds, High Elf Chariot, 2 High Elf Warriors each armed with Spear, Bow
- 4+ Armour Save
- Gains Wainriders: d6+1 Impact Hits

Tiranoc Battle Chariot: 125 points
- 4 Barded Elven Steeds, High Elf Chariot, 3 High Elf Warriors each armed with Halberd, Bow
- 4+ Armour Save, Toughness 5
- Gains Wainriders: d6+1 Impact Hits

Chracian Chariot: 140 points
- 2 War Lions, High Elf Chariot, 2 White Lions of Chrace
- Gains Fear.
- Toughness 5, 3+ Armour Save +2 against shooting attacks
- Gains Rugged: d6+1 Impact Hits, take half-strength damage when entering wooded terrain

Dragon Princes of Caledor: 30 points
- Barded Elven Steed, Dragon Armour, Shield, Lance, +1 Attack, +1 WS
- Gains Fiery Charge: Once per game after a successful charge the unit can declare all its attacks to be magical, flaming attacks.

Harbingers: 17 points
- Elven Steed, Bow
- Gains Fast Cavalry
Upgrade:
Ellyrian Reavers: Gain Spear, Annuli Patrol: Reroll all attacks against beasts on charge. +3 points
Shore Guard: Gain Longbow, Sea Hunter: Ignore long range penalty. +2 points


RARE

The Ancient Allies
Great Eagle: 50 points
- 6+ Ward Save
Upgrade:
Eagle Eye: Declare one friendly High Elven Wizard to be allied with the Great Eagle before the start of the game. This Great Eagle may act as Line-of-Sight for that Wizard's spells. One Wizard to one Great Eagle. Limit 1 per army. +10 points

War Lions: 50 points
- 2 Wounds, 4+ Armour Save (+1 against ranged attacks)
- Unit Size 1-10
- Gains Fear, Hate, Skirmishers, and Woodsmen
- Gains Roar!: Choose one War Lion, lay down a flame template facing away from it as if a breath attack. Used in the shooting phase. Count models underneath the template, partial and full, and roll that number in Leadership tests. One failure forces a panic test, if failed must flee directly away from the War Lions.


The Tools of War
Eagle Claw Repeater Bolt Thrower: 80 points
- 2 Lothern Sea Guard as crew
Upgrade:
Cursed Shot: One use, may be purchased multiple times. Make a normal attack (single shot or volley), and if it hits the target is afflicted with Curse of Arrow Attraction for the rest of the Shooting Phase. Does not deal magical damage. +15 points
Blessed Bolt: One use, may not be purchased multiple times. Fire a single bolt as normal, if the target is hit you may ignore Ward saves or Cover Saves instead of ignoring Armour Saves. Magical damage. +30 points
Void Volley: One use, may be purchased multiple times. Make a volley attack as normal, add +d6 arrows to the attack. Magical damage. +10 points
Glyph of Power: Not ammunition, but embossed on the warmachine. All attacks, including those by the crew, are magical as long as the warmachine isn`t destroyed. Attacks already magical may become Flaming attacks, player`s choice. +30 points.

Relic of a Lost Age: 175 points
- Warmachine, 5 Wounds, M5, Flying, 5+ Ward, may be joined by characters
- Gains Echoes of History: These relics reflect just how far the Asur have fallen, giving them a melancholic resoluteness. All friendly units within 12" are may choose to become Stubborn but must test at -1 on their base Leadership. No effect on already Stubborn or Immune to Psychology units.

Upgrade (may choose one):

Focal Point: Any friendly beneficial spell, except healing spells, may be cast on the Relic instead of a single target unit or model. The Relic then powers the spell as if it were being chanelled around it using the caster's original cast result or 7 whichever is higher, affecting friendly units within the original spell's area of effect. If none then one unit of the player's choice within 18". The chanelled spell can be dispelled as normal and stopped any time the player wishes. +50 points

Item of Power: Allowed to purchase up to 150 points of Magical Items from the High Elven Armoury as if a Wizard. Even ones already present in the army. (Use the statline of a High Elf Prince.) +50 points



LORDS and HEROES

The High Artists
Archmage: 250 points
- Level 3 High Elf Wizard, +35 to Level 4
- May also purchase a Great Eagle, Griffon, or a Star Dragon as a mount.

Mage: 100 points
- Level 1 High Elf Wizard, +35 to Level 2
- May also purchase a Great Eagle or a Sun Dragon as a mount.


ARCANE HONOURS: (May purchase as many Honours as Wizard levels)
Loremaster - Esteemed by his peers and subtle in his ways a true master of the lores of magic can wield spells with impunity.
Requires at least a L2 High Elf Mage. One of his spells may be from a different lore than the rest of the Loremaster's spells, generated as normal. May be purchased several times. +25 points

Seer - Centuries of experience and keen insight allows mastery of the winds of magic unlike any other.
The mage may select his spells instead of rolling randomly for them. +30 points

Channeller - Winds wax and wane, but always at his command.
Grants +1 Power Die per magic phase for the mage's use and allows 1 more Power Dice to be used than normal when casting spells. The mage may elect, at the start of his phase, to change this extra Power Die into a Dispel Die though he retains the ability to cast with 1 more PD than normal. +40 points

Scholar - Years of study and practice makes some spells always easy to recall.
Grants an additional spell. +25 points

Reckless - The call of power is hard to ignore.
Grants a bonus power die that is rolled everytime you cast a spell. Produces a miscast or irresistible force as normal. +30 points



The Silver Sons
Prince: 135 points
- Gains Son of Asuryan: Always Strikes First, Reroll ranged attacks with mundane bows
- May purchase any 4 Honours total.

Noble: 85 points
- Gains Son of Asuryan: Always Strikes First, Reroll ranged attacks with mundane bows
- May also purchase a Griffon or a Sun Dragon as a mount.
- May purchase 2 Martial Honours total.


MARTIAL HONOURS:
Adept - Seeking to serve his people better, the warrior chooses to study magic and master it the way he has mastered war.
Becomes a Level 1 Wizard, can use the 8 lores but not High Magic, High Elf bonuses, and cannot purchase Arcane Honours. May cast wearing armour. Instead of casting a spell can make his and his unit`s ranged and combat attacks magical. +40 points

Magister - His studies have taken him farther on the path of the Mage. He is an equal in matters arcane to all but the most powerful Mages of the land.
Requires Adept. Level 2 High Elf Mage. Access to High Magic as well High Elf Mage bonuses. Retains Adept bonuses. Prince only gains access to Arcane Honours after purchasing this. +40 points

Bladelord - Mastery of the blade is but one step on the path of the warrior; a long road, marked with grace and death.
Gains +1 Attack and Killing Blow special rule. May only have Adept and Magister Honours as well. Only works when on foot or on chariots. One Sword Master unit may become a Core Choice. +55 points

Shadow-Walker - Praised and cursed, fated to walk swiftly and to stalk silently.
Scout. Woodsman. May only have Adept and Magister Honours as well. Hatred against Druchii and Daemons. +35 points

Fated - Haze surrounds them, silence binds them, and duty forges them anew.
Causes Fear, 4+ Ward Save. May choose to make Magical, Flaming Attacks with mundane melee weapons. Cannot have any other honours. Cannot be the General, but can be the BSB following the same rules: cannot have magical items if taking a magical banner. One Phoenix Guard unit may become a Core choice. +65 points

Lion Guard - As proud and foreboding as the white lions that prowl Chrace this one's dedication to the Phoenix King is beyond reproach.
Stubborn. Woodsman. Wears White Lion Cloak and may purchase a Chracian Chariot as a mount, replacing one of the crew. May only have Adept and Magister Honours as well. One White Lion or Chracian Chariot (other than the mount) unit may become a Core choice. +50 points

Paragon - Stoic and wise, the hearts of old heroes beat in them.
Immune to Panic and Fear (but suffering Fear still against Terror-causers). One per army. +25 points




======

Version
1.0 - First copy. Need sleep.
1.01 - Increased Relic of a Lost Age's cost from 125 to 175.
1.02 - Annuli Patrol from Killing Blow to Reroll All Hits on the charge. Limit 1 per army for Eagle-Eye.

Disclaimer: This is not properly balanced and whatnot.
Last edited by Marwynn on Sat May 02, 2009 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Natio
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Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:26 am
Location: Australia

Re: One More Time - High Elves 7.5

#2 Post by Natio »

I've got to say I'm not incredibly fond of it as a whole. I don't think being able to run a level 4 mage that can pick whatever spells he likes from two different lores is a good thing. It breaks one of the main parts of the game and puts HE as by far the most flexible magic users in the entire game by far. Don't allow both of the honors to be taken together.

The adepts in battle are probably not in the nature of Elves because you're basically killing them off in battle as well as the dangers they face in learning mastery of magic. Maybe bring them in as helpers to the mages in battle. Sort of like familiars in 40k.

There are just so many different things that can be abused in this list and somethings are just brutal. For 100pts I can have a unit that does killing blow on monsters on the charge. Try something that keeps them alive like the monster must re-roll any hits. I think something like this would be better because you generally hunt beasts by wounding them, scaring them of and then pursuing it until it's weak from fatigue. These elves aren't Hercules tackling a hydra :P.

The eagle-mage thing makes it worse. Slaan have to use a skink priest for this skill and we get it on a flying creature for only 60pts in total. I wouldn't keep this option or atleast make the mage pay 30pts for it out of his own alotment.
[quote="Eldacar"]
It's more a "do unto others what needs to be done, and too bad for whoever gets in your way" sort of ideal.[/quote]
[quote="Aryel"]Yes, let's delete all Eldacar's post count. It makes my e-penis look tiny.[/quote]
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Marwynn
Posts: 376
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:43 am

Re: One More Time - High Elves 7.5

#3 Post by Marwynn »

Fair enough. The L4 can pick 2 Spells at most from a different Lore than his primary one. 30 for the seer, 25 for each Loremaster for each spell. Yes, this actually makes HE Mages pretty solid spellcasters, which was a way of addressing their meh-ness.

The Adepts may have a restriction that requires a Mage of some kind along, makes sense. But again the High Elves are supposedly a highly magical race, perhaps even more than any other race as a whole because they're infused with it. It comes from a need to represent that rather than a need for a magic missile throwing unit. Or are you referring to the Nobles turned Mages?

Yeah I meant to edit that part, I always end up with Killing Blow (which is a copy from an older separate thread). It should be reroll hits. Though I do like that Dodge idea. Though you understand it's not again my intention to let them KB Dragons, but rather things that the Reavers would normally hunt.

I was thinking of replacing that with a Hit-and-Run rule instead. Which is more in line of what Light Cavalry would do, but I was worried that would be considered too much.

And the GE vision was from that magic item thread which I so ingraciously copied. I understand that the power levels are a bit, well greatly, increased. This stems from the view of the book lacking options not lacking power.
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