This guide goes through all the High Elf (armybook) magic items and gives a little reasoning behind why each item might be a good or bad choice for you and some of the usual choices that go along with each item. A guide to the BRB items is in the post immediately after this one.
Blade of Leaping Gold
Similarly to its last incarnation, this blade grants 3 additional attacks that have a ⅙ chance to ignore armour. Its still not very useful as the Elves who will be wielding this beasty are still a very non-bestial strength 4. This means you’re going to have trouble both wounding and stripping the armour of anything more capable than a spearelf and for the cost, there are much better choices out there (read Giant Blade, etc). There is the potential to combo this item with something like the Potion of Strength but I personally wouldn’t bother.
Star Lance
An absolute beauty of a weapon for the point cost. Negating armour saves is huge now we’re playing monstrous cav. hammer so often and this item is good on just about any mounted character. As I write this, the jury is still out on whether a Dragon Prince champ can equip the lance but either way, this is a solid choice. I imagine this item is seen in almost all cav. lists and and in a lot of other lists too. The Star Lance is a great choice for a supporting combat character i.e. BSB if the Prince is armed with something else (Giant Blade) as it just adds punch - any str. bonus is great for Elves as long as it maintains or ASF advantage. The lance also opens up the possibility of the older style ‘Imrik Dragonlord’ type build as this was originally his signature item (one for you fluff bunnies then!).
Reaver Bow
Another great choice if a little more situational or list dependant than the Star Lance. The Reaver Bow excels in a static, defensive or shooty type of list and is great in combination with the Potion of Strength for some potentially monster-killing, armour removing, high-str. shots. It can be used on champions but I’m not sure I see that as the best use of this item due to the lower str. characteristic compared to a lord/hero. Remembering also that moving and shooting incurs extra penalties, this item is a great choice for a BSB or similar in a gunline to add some heavy hitting to your early game bolt thrower shots.
Armour of Caledor
Oh how the mighty have fallen. In the 7th ed. book rarely would you come across an Elf list that did not include this item. Things changed in 8th. due to the points cost of this suit of armour, which bring it more in line with the Armour of Silvered Steel. This item is still good (flaming ward, 6++ included) but in a day and age when High Elf characters want some punch in addition to a decent armour save, there often aren’t the points to include this item. In a cav. list you probably won’t ever see the Armour of Caledor but it does have its uses protecting a character on foot i.e. Loremaster or BSB.
Shadow Armour
This has some decent rules for the points but the problem is, these rules are only ever shared with Shadow Warriors. Unless there is a serious game plan attached to this item, I can’t see it being used as more often than not, deploying a character with scouts tends to get them killed.
Shield of the Merwyrmrdghuizing wrote:- regarding shadow armour: there are different opinion on whether the 5+ armour it offers can be combined with light armour/ heavy armour or not. If it can't be then it's not that great, since you will never get a good armour save on him. If it can be combined then it has some merit since it makes it relatively easy to get a 2+ save for a character on foot.
A cheap 4++ for combat only. Decent but not an auto-include as typically, you want a 4++ all the time so go for a talisman. It might fit on a character you’re designing that might see combat once in a while but doesn’t have the points for a better defence (Loremaster, maybe a BSB). Several months on, the forums are still alive with debate over whether a mounted character can use this item.
Golden Crown of Atrazar
One of the best in the new book, this effectively gives its owner an extra wound on a 2+. Remember that this item is better than the Charmed Shield as that hit has to wound too before you get the save (Charmed Shield is against the first hit). This is good in a great many places and can be combined with the Charmed Shield for shenanigans against cannons.
Moranion’s Wayshard
Ambushing spears/archers is cute but this is an expensive item for the points. I can see someone taking this if they face a Dwarven gunline every day but otherwise, it isn’t the best choice. Its too expensive and too random to be much use in take-all-comers lists.
Khaine’s Ring of Fury
Cheap and effective. It’s basically a different version of the fireball ring from the BRB. You (statistically) get more shots and a 6++ if you successfully cast it but pay for those advantages with a shorter 18” range. This is a great item for the obvious chaff removal but also for buffing you ward save. As such, it sees use in many lists for both reasons. Myself, I use it in a Dragon Prince bus as a cheap way to boost their ward save and you can do similar things with almost any other unit too - fancy getting those PG to a 3++ without a High mage? Then this is the toy for you.
Gem of Sunfire
This one has an obvious user and use in mind - a Dragon Mage who is either about to cast a bunch of spells or is in CC with flaming attacks (Flaming Sword buffs) and with a dragon about to use its breath weapon. If you take a Dragon Mage then consider this, if not then don’t. Simple.
Cloak of Beards
Against Dwarves this is pretty immense, against anyone else, it does have a use in making the bearer immune to fear. Remember though that only the wearer causes that fear, not his unit. Situational and more of a fluff choice.
Book of Hoethrdghuizing wrote:- Cloak of beards: for what it does it is a great item and priced competatively. Fear for 10 points is a decent deal. The only problem is that fear doesn't do much. With reroll everywhere, fear tests don't achieve much, and protecting a ld 9 -10 character from fear/terror is a waste of points in almost all cases. So, I can never find the points for it.
The good stuff! I quite honestly think this is better than the last Book of Hoeth by a long, long way. Super charge both your magic phases with this and away you go. If you have a Level 4/Loremaster as your main caster, you take this item. It is that good.
Link to casting statistics, strategies, etc
Banner of the World Dragon
The immensely good stuff! Who wouldn’t want this? In addition to making Daemons cry, the Banner of the World Dragon is unbelievably useful in protecting you from spells and magical attacks. As an added bonus it also protects you against your own miscasts - remember though that miscasting can still be very, very bad depending on the result so rolling those 6 and thinking you’ll be ok in a unit with this item still isn’t the best idea. I’ve seen this used all over the place, it allows Elf deathstars to be made of all shapes and sizes (even spears - yes I’ve seen it done) and is a good answer to the dreaded Daemon Prince if you can get him to bite and attack the unit in CC. Combine a unit with this item and a unit of Phoenix Guard with a 4++ and you have 2 durable units of Elves. Yes, you read correctly. Durable Elves. Although don’t make the mistake of thinking that you are invincible, some stuff like little crappy bow shots will still kill you alarmingly quickly.
7th ed. High Elf Item Guide
The previous 7th ed. magic item guide has been shifted to the end of this topic, link to the post below:
7th ed. Magic Item Guide