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250 to 2250: Army Construction

By Papa Elf

Introduction.

First a little personal background of myself.

I am 67 years old, a graduate of an U.S. military college, a former military officer and Viet Nam veteran. I am a life long game player, and took up Warhammer as a method of enjoying some quality game time playing with my two grown son’s ages, 30 and 25. As a group we attend four gaming conventions (RTT or GT level play) a year, plus attend events at the four GW stores within 35 miles of my home.

The vast majority of my games are in various limited formats, with the only large Armies (2000+ points) being those built for RTT and GT play.

We host a weekly limited game. This playgroup includes myself, my sons, and several of their friends, including two GW store managers. Between my sons and myself we play 6 armies, High Elves, Wood Elves, Dwarfs, Orcs and Goblins, Beastmen and Ogre Kingdoms. Other armies represented in our playgroup are Empire, Bretonnians, Tomb Kings, Lizardmen, Skaven, Dark Elves, Chaos Mortals (Nurgle, Slaanesh), Daemonic Legion, and Cult of Slaanesh.

General Concepts.

First of all, this is not meant to be a tactical article, per se, but a primer on how to select units that will implement the tactic that one elects to play. I highly recommend reading the following tactical articles before attempting to build one’s Army.(editors note: links no longer work, so im not going to actually link them)

http://www.asur.org.uk/ulthuan/viewtopic.php?t=1968 This article by Elmoth explains the importance of having a battle plan before building one’s Army.

http://www.asur.org.uk/ulthuan/cms_view_article.php?aid=60 This article by Elthair explains the purpose of support, what units constitute support, and several examples of combined forces play.

http://www.asur.org.uk/ulthuan/cms_articles.php?cid=6 This link is to the Tactics index of the “Book of Warfare”. In that index are several articles by Ryo, covering tactical play with both All Calvary lists and Combined Forces (infantry) Lists. They are all thought provoking, and IMO very worthwhile reading. The index also contains several additional articles on various subjects by regular contributors to this forum. Check them out, they contain considerable useful information.

http://www.asur.org.uk/ulthuan/cms_view_article.php?aid=102 This is a statistical work by Ryo detailing the power of the “Book of Hoeth”. I consider this required reading, if one decides to play magic heavy.

The following comments are specific to the High Elf War Host, but I feel that the concepts described could be applied to any of the Warhammer Armies.

Now for my suggestions on how to best put a High Elf Army on the Table.

All of my lists are built with two overriding principles. First, a points to wound ratio of 25 points or less per wound and second, a “Boots on the Table/Boots in the Battle”, concept that attempts to minimize battle slack (i.e. formations that contain models that cannot fight unless another model dies). For example, the second rank of a Swordmaster unit. I also try to build lists that play in all four phases of the game, i.e. movement, magic, shooting, and close combat.

I don’t believe that comparative analysis between our troops and troops of other Armies is a reason to take or not take any particular unit in our list. Nor do I believe that there is a High Elf unit that is totally worthless. However, I do believe that comparative analysis between High Elf units, as to which fills a required objective better, is the essence in building an effective list. This analysis is affected by the size of the game, core choice requirements, special and rare choice restrictions and finally by cost of the unit.

If one were to build a Warhammer Assault Force using modern U.S. Military principles, than the requirement might be:

"An Armored force backed by Mobile Infantry, Artillery and Close Combat Air support."

Next determine which High Elf units fill these roles. My classification follows:

Heavy Armor:

Light Armor:

Mobile Infantry:

Static Infantry:

Assault Forces/Shock Troops:

Reconnaissance (read March Blocking):

Light Artillery:

Heavy Artillery:

Close Air Support:

Command:

Select the best unit from each group. My selections are Silver Helms, Ellyrian Reavers, Spear Elves, Lothern Sea Guard, Tiranoc Chariot, Great Eagles, Shadow Warriors, Bolt Thrower and Mages.

These are the units that one should use in building an Army. This is not to say that the un-chosen should not be used, but there should be a reason for selecting them. An example might be the need for a magic banner, thereby requiring an elite unit to carry it.

The Seaguard unit can also be dropped since "Static Defense" is too narrow a purpose for an all-purpose Army. However if you were playing defender in a "siege" game, I challenge one to find a better Elf unit, (Maiden Guard excepted) for the job. The Sea Guard can be spread along the wall and provide ranged artillery until the wall is about to be breached, and then reform to ranked infantry to meet the assault.

Personally I'm a believer in the balanced Army, but that may be because I'm primarily a tournament player. However my weekly playgroup plays limited point games, and I am therefore familiar with all the published limited formats.

Small Games. (250 points – 500 points)

Applicable Rule Sets. (Large War Bands, Warhammer Flash, Border Patrol, Standard Warhammer at 500 points)

My experience in well over a 100 of these games in the last 14 months has revealed the following truths. * These games are dominated by targeted ranged missile (either mundane or magic) attack. The magic lore of choice for low level mages appears to be “Fire”. Three dispel dice is adequate magic defense for most opponents.

* Disclaimer, Truths from my playgroup. The reader’s truths may be different.

For me, this means that the small High Elf Army need be built around the “Chicken Hawk” or “Warrior/Mage” Commander, an Offensive Mage, or a Repeating Bolt Thrower. Factors such as preferred play style; the Army mix of the playgroup, and the particular rule set being played help determine which to select.

“Chicken Hawk” (prototype). Commander on Great Eagle, Dragon Armor, Great Weapon/Lance , Shield and Reaver Bow. 172 points.

In the small game world, this configuration is only legal in games of Warhammer at 500 points. Exchange the Great Eagle for a Barded Elf Steed and the commander comes in at 139 points, making him legal in all small formats but Border Patrol. Drop the Armor, Steed’s Barding and the Great Weapon/Lance for a Border Patrol legal Character. (124 points)

“Warrior/Mage” (prototype). Commander on Barded Steed, Dragon Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Longbow, Radiant Gem of Hoeth. 154 points.

Losing the Longbow (144 points) OR the Barding on the Steed (149 points) makes him “Flash” or War Band legal. Putting him on foot, losing the Longbow and Shield and he becomes Border Patrol legal. (125 points)

“Offensive Mage” (prototype) 2nd Level Mage on Foot, Seer, Channeler, Silver Wand, (180 points) or 2nd Level on foot, Ring of Fury, Jewel of the Dusk. (175 points)

Again, these are only legal in Warhammer at 500 points. Simply dropping to a 1st level mage brings the points to 145/140 and leaves a reasonably potent low level mage, that’s Legal in Flash or War Band. Example High Magic knowing Fury of Khaine, Flames of the Phoenix, and Drain Magic with the ability to cast with three power dice. For Border patrol. 1st level with Ring of Fury, Lore of Fire or Death for two magic missiles a turn.

“Repeater Bolt Thrower” 100 points.

There is arguably nothing better if one KNOWS that the opposition consists of low armor save and high toughness troops (read Chaos or Dwarfs). However, if one does not know, there are several drawbacks to this choice.

Boots on the Table/Boots in the Battle. This is a term I invented to describe a concept that I adhere to while building my Armies. It’s a ratio of total models on the table to the number of models available for close combat. Examples, the fourth rank of a spear block, or the second rank of a Silver Helm or Sword Master unit are on the table, but are not in the battle. In these small games I strive for a 100% ratio. It’s my opinion that due to the costs of our models we can ill afford any slackers on the table at 500 points.

Now I try to get as many UNITS as possible on to the table top, after selecting my general. Taking my battle plan into consideration (say All Cavalry) I next take as many Core units as possible at minimum unit strength. For Example, my General is the 139-point version of the “Chicken Hawk” and I have elected to play All-Cavalry. (Only legal in Warhammer at 500 points or War Band)

Three units of five Silver Helms are 345 points leaving 16 extra. Now I adjust my list from here taking into consideration the available special and rare selections. Drop a unit of Helms and take an Eagle and a unit of Ellyrian Reavers. 516 Total. Now the list is 16 points high, is without a magic phase, and has only 2 dispel dice. This is a very iffy proposition in Warhammer at 500 points.

So, at this point I would trade out my Commander for the Warrior Mage version (sans Longbow) and adjust the armor on the helms. With the Dragon Armor the list is at 501, so exchanging for Heavy Armor yields:

Commander on Barded Steed. Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart.
Silver Helms x5. Light Armor, Shield.
Silver Helms x5. Light Armor, Shield.
Ellyrian Reavers x5. Musician.
Great Eagle.

Total points - 499.

This list has no shooting phase, but the commander does have a Fireball. If the lack of shooting is a concern in one’s gaming group, than drop the Eagle, restore the Armor on the Helms, and give the Reavers bows for 360 degree shooting.

Commander on Barded Steed. Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart.
Silver Helms x5. Heavy Armor, Shield.
Silver Helms x5. Heavy Armor, Shield.
Ellyrian Reavers x5. Musician, Bows.

Total points - 499.
If Combined Forces are more your style, then starting with the warrior mage as your general, without his horse. Commander on Foot. Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart. (125 points – Legal in ALL limited formats)

Next add two units of Spears and a unit of Silver Helms without any add-ons. This brings the list to 440 points, but the Spears are at an awkward size, 10. The High Elf special rule which allows spears to fight in three ranks with a minimum rank of four defines (at least for me) that unit sizes that are multiples of three or four are viable (12,15,16,18,20,21, or 24). Therefore taking the spears to 12 each and giving the helms heavy armor and shields the list moves to 504 points. Dropping one spear and replacing him with the General goes to 493.

Before going further, I feel that this is the place to voice my beliefs on High Elf unit command. One, they are expensive and do not add to “Boots on the Table”. Full commands cost 30 for Archers, Spears or Sword Masters, 35 for Sea Guard, Silver Helms, Ellyrian Reavers, White Lions or Phoenix Guard, and 45 for Dragon Princes. These are points that could be used to put more models on the table; therefore one should have a reason for spending these points on command.

The Champion. The primary purpose of the champion is to shield an embedded character from challenge and to my mind should be taken whenever one embeds a character in a unit.

The Standard. This adds +1 to static combat resolution and should be taken in those units with high static combat resolution (Ranked Infantry)

The Musician. The musician adds +1 to combat resolution in the event combat resolution is tied. Again use it with ranked infantry. It also +1 to leadership when a unit attempts to rally after flight from combat. This is of particular importance for troops used to probe the enemy, baiting charges with the full intention of running from the charge. (Fast Cavalry)

Adding full command to the spears with the general brings us to 523 which requires dropping the second spear unit. Now add 3 spears to the first unit 5x3 and a unit of shadow warriors for a modest shooting presence and we have:

Commander on Foot. Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x14, full command
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Shadow Warriors x5

Total Points – 499.

For a list with a little more shock value, drop the Heavy Armor on the Helms and trade the Shadow Warriors for a Tiranoc Chariot.

Commander on Foot. Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x14, full command
Silver Helms x5, Shields
Tiranoc Chariot

Total Points – 499.

These last two lists are legal in all limited formats.

One for the Magic Lovers. This next list is largely to illustrate that magic is possible in these formats. Also remember 2nd level mages are far easier to achieve for some of the other races.

Mage 1st Level Fire, Seer, Silver Wand, Channeler
Spear Elves x11, Champion, Standard
Silver Helms x5, Shields
Silver Helms x5, Shields

Total points – 500.

This is legal in all but Border Patrol, Drop Seer, add heavy Armor to Helms and a Musician for the Spears for a Border Patrol list.

Mage 1st Level Fire, Silver Wand, Channeler
Spear Elves x11, Champion, Standard, Musician
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields

Total points – 496.

IF playing Warhammer Flash or Border Patrol, all cavalry is not an option due to the requirement of a 10-man infantry unit. Therefore the strategic choices become Magic Heavy, Elven Gun Line, Combined Arms or Static Defense.

First order of business is to take the required 10 model Infantry unit. Playing “Flash” this unit should also be a Core choice. However in Border Patrol where the core requirement is only one unit and the non-core choices are restricted to one unit, this is your chance to play an elite infantry unit that you would not normally play.

Border Patrol – “Check out the Phoenix Guard”

Commander on Foot. Heavy Armor, Shield, Halberd, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Lore of Fire), Pure of Heart.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Phoenix Guard x15, Full Command

Total points – 500

“Flash” army Gun Line (static Defense)

Mage 2nd Level Fire, Silver Wand,
Archers x10, Light Armor
Archers x 5, Light Armor*
Archers x 5, Light Armor*
Repeating Bolt Thrower

Total points – 500.

*Flash rules allow for infantry minimum unit sizes of five.

War Bands

There are two rule sets for War Bands. Small War Bands (1-199 points) and Large War Bands (200-500 points). There are also two forms of play, the stand-alone game and the campaign game. This format goes onto the table much like Skirmish games. However unlike Skirmish this is real Warhammer with Warhammer rules. Units, albeit some as small as two models, are still units and play the same as the official sizes.

From an Army composition point of view the most significant rule change is minimum unit size. War Band minimums are 3 for infantry, 2 for cavalry, and 1 for monster bases (40mm x 40mm).

In my opinion High Elves can’t compete in small war bands. The 75-point maximum for hero characters eliminates our Mages and restricts our Commanders to Heavy Armor or a Weapon choice (74 points) and no other equipment what so ever. The good news is that small War Bands are ALL core NO magic items, chariots, war machines or flyers.

Examples, 199 point lists,

Commander, Heavy Armor
Spear Elves x5
Silver Helms x3, Heavy Armor, Shields

Total points – 198

Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields, Champion*
Archers x5

Total points – 199

*There is a War Band rule that allows for a unit Champion to assume Generalship of the War Band, however this requires that the unit be at BRB unit minimums.

Of the two forms of large War Band play, Stand alone at 500 points is the least interesting since it’s only different from the other limited formats is that the minimum unit sizes are smaller and that a unit champion can be promoted to General. Each game is played with an unknown (unknown to your opponent) objective. Achieving this objective is rewarded with victory points. With the exception of the secret objective the game is a lot like “Flash” which also allows for some smaller minimums and the promotion of a unit champion to general.

The 500 point armies described above are legal for large War Band at 500 points, however the larger blocks could be split into smaller units if desired. Silver Helm units of three (Unit Strength 6) come to mind.

War Band Campaign.

The large War Band campaign has become the game of choice with my Saturday night playgroup. We play on 4’x4’ tables with D3+1 pieces of terrain. We typically each play 2 to 3 games per meeting. The campaign runs for 4 weeks (10-12 games). On the 5th week we play the mega-battle (U.S. WD #297) with our surviving troops.

The War Band starts at 250 points and grows or declines based on ones fortunes in battle. There are several unique considerations to be taken into account in this format. First and foremost is “Survive the first game”

This format is about attrition, with only the survivors of the first battle being available to fight the next battle. After a game there is a recovery phase where each dead model rolls a D6. On a roll of 1 or 2 the model does not recover and becomes what I call Dead-Dead. Rolls of 3+ recover the model and it returns to your war band. Characters roll on a special table and can lose points from there basic statistics.

After the recovery phase, your Army must be made legal in order to continue in the campaign. In other words you must buy the models required to get two legal core units and a general to move on to the next battle. The only points you have to spend are whatever you did not spend originally plus any that you may have won in the battle. For example, say that you lost the first battle and receive 25 points for your effort. You have 3 unused points from your original listing. Unfortunately you need to purchase a Silver Helm and a Spear Elf to get those units back to minimum strength of 2 and 3 models respectively. This requires 34 points and you only have 28. This means the current war band must retire, and you must field a new one at 250 points for the next game. Conversely should one win the game, then the War Band receives up to 100 points which you can use to recover any Dead-Dead and expand your Army.

The full details of this format were published in 3 consecutive issues of U.S. WD (#296-298) and can be found on the GW web site:

http://us.games-workshop.com/games/warhammer/gaming/warbands/scenarios/default.htm

In putting together a campaign war band I recommend the following:

1. Design the 500 point Army first.
2. Select a subset of that Army for the starting 250 points. Remember you can add items and equipment as you go forward but you can not exchange items. Example, One equips the hero with a Lance, and later decides that a Great Weapon would be better. Exchanging the lance for the Great Weapon at no cost is not allowed. You must discard the Lance and spend new points to buy the Great Weapon.
3. Try to build slack (extra models in critical units) into the starting list to prevent being forced from the campaign in the event of a first game loss.
4. Have a starting shooting presence. Shooting is HUGE in this format. There are lots of 3 and 4 model units on the table. Kill a single model and it’s panic check time.
5. It’s better to save extra points than to purchase an item just because you can.

The 500 point list.

Commander on Barded Steed, Dragon Armor, Enchanted Shield, Great Weapon, Reaver Bow. 147 points.
Spear Elves x12, Standard, Musician. 150 points.
Silver Helms x3, Heavy Armor, Shields. 69 points.
Silver Helms x3, Heavy Armor, Shields. 69 points.
Shadow Warriors x4. 60 points.

Total Points – 495.

The Starting List

Commander on Foot, Dragon Armor, Enchanted Shield, Great Weapon. 90 points
Spear Elves x5. 55 points.
Silver Helms x3. 57 points.
Shadow Warriors x3. 45 points.

Total Points – 247.

The Shadow Warriors are vulnerable in this list, should I lose one, and not have the points to recover the model I will LOSE the unit since I would not be at minimum unit size. However I have slack in the core units with 2 extra spears and an extra helm.

Loss of the first game is not necessarily fatal. Being massively outnumbered in the second game can be a good thing. One gains a pre-game experience bonus (points) for being the underdog. Try for the “assassinate” secret objective and concentrate your game on killing the opposing general. This is a 50-50 shot since very few armies will have a standard in the early phases of the campaign, (command requires a unit to be at Army Book minimum strength) giving the “assassinate” on die rolls of 1, 3 and 6. Achieve the objective to receive 20% of your opponents starting Army size as victory points. Even after losing the second game, remember you had less to kill, meaning less to recover with more points to spend. Very often this sequence yields a significant net gain for the game, allowing one to totally rebuild their Army.

Hero’s Archetype.

Another aspect of Campaign war band is the selection of an Archetype for you hero. These Archetypes give your hero/army special abilities. My personal choice is “Rogue/Trickster” who’s starting Ability is to rally any unit in the Army automatically, if that unit selects flee as a charge reaction. This includes units at less than 25% of original strength.

The “Noble” archetype is one that I avoid since its ability is to preclude taking “Assassinate” as an unknown objective. This is not good, since I believe that “assassinate” is the easiest of the objectives to achieve.

Veteran Status and Hero Abilities.

Two more things on which to spend your points. I recommend not spending the 25 points for a roll on the ability table early in the campaign. These abilities can be quite good, but one gets a “free” roll every three games. However purchasing Veteran status (10 points) for surviving units can be very helpful.

Mid-Range Games (1000 and1500 Points)

Applicable Rule Sets. (Warhammer at less than 2000 points)

One of the first things to consider in games of this size is “How many characters should be in the Army”. The rules allow three, however three Heroes with items approach 500 points in total cost. This is too expensive for my taste so I limit my 1000 point lists to a single character and my 1500 point lists to no more than two.

Another consideration is unit sizes. As opposed to the small games, mid range games have points available where mistakes can be made in selecting your unit sizes. If one is a regular reader of these forums, I’m sure that you have read numerous persons giving advice to take 12 models in an infantry support unit and not take cavalry units of eight. This is good advice, and I’ll try to explain the reasons why.

First a Sword Master unit of 12 deployed 6x2. This unit does not get to fight in ranks and therefore the second rank is not in the battle. In most cases the unit is not intended to be a MBU (main battle unit) but a support unit that flank attacks against an enemy hung in against your spears. The spears have the ranks and most likely the banner, these things can only be counted once, they are not cumulative.

Why 6x2? Why not 5x2 or 4x3? Elf infantry bases are 20mm (smallest in the game). A frontage of five models is one of the most common sizes for infantry blocks in all armies. The purpose of Sword Masters is to win combat quickly, if not on the first round, hopefully on the second round. After winning the first round of combat the objective is to “lap around” and gets the slackers from the second rank into the fight. The first rule of “lap around” is that your unit must have extended frontage on the opponent. If you do not have extension you must extend your front BEFORE one is allowed to “lap around”. This would take two rounds of combat, NOT a good thing. With a frontage of 6, the unit will most likely have extension on the first round of combat allowing for immediate “lap around”. Remember “lapping around” models not only get into the combat they also get the +1 for flank attack as long as the entire unit has a unit strength of 5+. (Page 78 BRB).

The Silver Helm unit of 8 deployed 4x2. Again the unit does not fight in ranks. This is particularly bad for Silver Helms, since their plus 2 strength bonus only happens on the charge. Using a formation that negates a unit’s best feature is not taking advantage of the strengths of one’s Army. These are expensive models and deploying them in a formation where they are unable to fight until a fighting model dies, and then forcing it to fight at a disadvantage, is to my mind a mistake.

One final observation is that points spent on slack troops could have been spent on additional units. It’s my belief that one should try to field as many units as possible, regardless of the size of the game.

What size for Spear Blocks? The ability to fight in an extra rank is, I think, the High Elves best special rule. Only the Spear Elves, Lothern Seaguard, Ship’s Company (Sea Patrol, Storm of Chaos) and Maiden Guard can exploit the rule. At mid-range points, this means only the Spear Elves, as the Guard units are too expensive to play and the Storm of Chaos list makes little sense below 2000 points. To exploit the rule the block must at a minimum be three ranks deep. In the small games 12 was adequate, but in the mid-range I feel 15 is the minimum. Deploy 5 x 3, add your character and change formation to 4 x 4.

Magic Defense. Three dispel dice is, I believe adequate for a 1000 points. Most opponents will only be able to cast a single spell per turn. This means your hero should either be a Mage or a commander with Radiant Gem of Hoeth. At 1500 points, I consider a 1st level “Scroll Caddy” with 2 Dispel Scrolls or Annulian Crystal sufficient.

Some 1000 point suggestions:

“Fast Assault”

Commander on Barded Steed, Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radiant Gem of Hoeth.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Ellyrian Reavers x5, Bows, Musician
Tiranoc Chariot x2.
Great Eagles x2

Total Points – 999.

“Combined Arms”

Mage on Foot, 2nd Level “Fire”, Dispel Scroll x2, Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x15, Full Command, First Among Equals, Banner of Ellyrian.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Archers x10.
Tiranoc Chariots x2.
Repeating Bolt Thrower.

Total Points – 1000.

“Magic Heavy”

Mage on Foot, 2nd Level “High”, Seer, Channeller, Silver Wand, Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x15, Full Command.
Spear Elves x16, Full Command, First Among Equals, War Banner.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields.
Dragon Princes x5, Standard, Banner of Sorcery.
Tiranoc Chariot

Total Points – 999.

My 1500 point Armies follow the same principles, but the introduction of a second character allows for heavier hitting commanders, due to the fact that the second character is available for Magic defense. An Army for Ryo’s “Forced Denied Flank” maneuver

“The Cornerstone”

Commander on Foot, Heavy Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Lion Guard, Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x19, Full Command, Lion Standard

Commander on Barded Steed, BSB, Heavy Armor, Radiant Gem of Hoeth (Heavens)

This results in a unit that is immune to Panic, Fear, and Terror that takes break tests on Stubborn 9 with a possible re-roll

Mage on Foot, 1st level high, Annulian Crystal *

* This is an exception to my rule of taking no more than two characters at 1500 points. However it’s my belief that the forced refused flank tactic (see Ryo’s article) requires the Lion Guard and BSB commanders to be effective, however it leaves the list with an unacceptable magic defense.

Spear Elves x20, Full Command
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields
Tiranoc Chariot x2
Great Eagle

Total Points – 1500.

“The Chickenhawk”

Commander on Great Eagle, Dragon Armor, Great Weapon, Enchanted Shield, Reaver Bow.
2nd Level Mage, Heavens Magic, Seer, Channeller, Silver Wand, Pure of Heart.
Spear Elves x16, Full Command.
Spear Elves x16, Full Command.
Archers x10.
Silver Helms x5, Shields.
Silver Helms x5, Shields.
Ellyrian Reavers, Bows, Musician.
Tiranoc Chariot x2
Great Eagle x2

Total Points – 1499.

RTT – GT Tournament level Games (2000 - 2250 Points)

Characters.

This level of game introduces the Lord level Character. As to the question of whether one should be played in a game of this level, I think the answer could be yes. I believe if the lord brings something to the table that the hero level character cannot and is a coherent part of ones overall army concept, then play the Lord.

Example: Again using Ryo’s “Cornerstone” concept. (The Cornerstone Leader)
Hero Level – Commander on Foot, Lion Guard, Pure of Heart.
Lord Level – Prince on Foot, Lion Guard, Vambraces of Defense, Pure of Heart.
The heart of Ryo’s concept is the cornerstone Unit, and the Heart of the Cornerstone Unit is its’ commander, if he should die, most of the unit’s unique abilities die with him.

Of the two characters above the Prince is much more durable. Lion Guard and PoH are necessary UNIT abilities that enable the cornerstone concept, however the Hero is very vulnerable to challenge as his magic item points are exhausted leaving him relatively unprotected. The Prince on the other hand with “Vambraces” added , is slightly harder to hit , has an extra wound, can recover from “Killing Blow”, re-rolls failed armor saves, plus a last chance Ward save.

4th Level Archmage verses 2 2nd Level mages.

This is actually an economic exercise, since the PD, DD, Spells Known, and Magic Item point allowances are all equal. The Archmage is actually slightly cheaper at 255 points for a bare-bones level 4 as opposed to two bare-bones level two Mages at 260 points. (130 each). The advantages of two models over one is the ability to select additional Arcane, Talisman and or Enchanted magic items, plus an extra wound.

The Third Character.

In the mid range games the first character was typically an Army supportive Commander while the second Character typically provided for needed magic defense. What is the purpose of the third character?

At 2000+ points, I no longer believe 3 DD is adequate, I think 5 DD is a minimum requirement and 5 with 2 dispel scrolls would be adequate for most armies. Therefore a second Mage might be called for. Another option is a Commander taken as the Army Battle Standard Bearer (BSB). Based on personal observation of 14 months of fairly constant reading of the Army list forum, I feel safe in saying, that “the BSB is an under utilized asset of the High Elf army”.

Many of our tactics are based on the theory of a Main Battle Unit (MBU) holding the charge until a Support Battle Unit (SBU) is able to counter charge. This results in dramatically altering the static combat resolution, by adding to ours and subtracting from theirs, leading to a break-test with a fast unit in pursuit. The success of these tactics depends upon the MBU holding the battle line. Re-rolling break tests (the BSB’s inherent ability) is huge.

The Fourth Character.

This level game also allows for a fourth character. IMO he should never be taken, unless his presence is absolutely essential to the integrated concept of one’s over all Army. (see magic defense requirement above)

A single High Elf character, with items, is roughly equivalent to a base size regiment of troops.

Example: a 2nd level bare-bones Mage, 130 points. Compare costs to 10 Spear Elves - 110 Points, 10 Archers - 120 points, 5 Silver Helms, Armor and Shields - 115 points, 5 Shadow warriors AND an Eagle - 125 points, 10 Sword Masters - 130 points, 5 Dragon Princes -130 points, 5 Reavers with Bows and Musician - 127 points.

Unless there is an Army based overriding reason for the 4th character, take the troops.

The Uber-Character.

This is a Prince mounted on a Dragon or a Griffon whose purpose is to generally run amok in the opponent’s rear causing fear, terror and generally disrupting the opponent’s ability to exercise full movement. With Armor, Shield, and 100 points of Magic items, these models range from 435 to 555 points and carry 7 or 9 wounds. This comes in at 62 points per wound. For me, this is simply an unacceptable point cost in a tournament list.

For a “fun” game with friends, Go for it!!

The Special Character.

At 2000 points, this is much the same story as the Uber-Character, however I think it would be fun in a 3000 point game to try these guys in pairs.

Examples:

Bottom Line.

Avoid “Character Point Sink”. Try to hold one’s character selections to no more than 30% of the total points.

Core and Special Selections.

If one restricts points spent on characters, spends 300 on rare choices (typical 2 Eagles and 2 Bolt Throwers) This leaves some 1100+ points for core and special selections. These are the choices that will implement one’s conceptual Army. Things that I feel should be considered on every list.

Number 1 is to my mind the most important, one should build an Army to do something, then consider the other questions from the perspective of ‘Does this issue hinder the objective, and if so what can be done to counter the issue? Answers to these questions will most likely come down to one’s personal style of play, and unit preferences.

For example, If one’s concept is an all-mobile MSU Army then the core choices will be dominated by Silver Helms and the Specials would be Ellyrian Reavers and Tiranoc Chariots. If a magic banner is needed, the Dragon Princes are a logical choice. If extra shooting is required, consider giving bows to the Reavers. Do Bolt Throwers fit the plan, or would four Eagles supported by Magic firepower better meet the objective?

In a mixed list how many Spear Blocks should be taken? How big should they be? What is an appropriate number of support units vies-a-vie the number of MBU’s. Again I believe these answers vary depending upon the plan. Conventional wisdom seems to indicate that 2 MBU of 20 models, and 2 support units per MBU are typical answers.

Double line Tactics such as Ryo’s “Checker Board” would most likely benefit with at least one more MBU, with a one to one support ratio in the second line, plus additional fast units to protect both flanks of the entire formation.

Finally a High Elf 2250 point RTT winner.

The following list went 6-0 against all comers in a 45 person RTT tournament, Memorial Day 2005. The scenarios used in the tournament were "Treasure Hunt", "Messengers", "Gain Ground", "Magic Flux", "Breakthrough", and "Valley of Death". For full details of these games go to GW web-site and check them out.

http://us.games-workshop.com/community/rtt/downloads/assets/Tournament/WFBScenarios.pdf

This is not my list, but is printed with the permission of the owner, and I think it illustrates several of my concepts.

Archmage Level 4, Silver Wand, Ring of Fury, 2 Dispel Scrolls. 325 points.
Commander on Barded Steed, Pure of Heart, Dragon Armor, Shield, Great Weapon, Radient Gem of Hoeth. 144 points.
Spear Elves x20, First among Equals, Full Command, Banner of Ellyrian. 265 points.
Spear Elves x20, Full Command, 250 points.
Archers x 10. 120 points.
Archers x 10. 120 points.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields. 115 points.
Silver Helms x5, Heavy Armor, Shields. 115 points.
Shadow Warriors x5. 75 points
Dragon Princes x5, Full Command, Banner of Sorcery, Amulet of Purifying Flame. 240 points.
Chariots x2. 170 points.
Eagles x2. 100 points.
Bolt Throwers x2. 200 points

2249 Total points. (96 Models - 109 Wounds)

Avoids Character point sink
Ability to play as scenario dictates
Plays in all four phases of the game
12 Deployable Units plus Scouts and Characters
20.6 points/wound
96 models BoT (Boots on the Table)
86 models BiB (Boots in the Battle)*
5 DD, 2 Dispel Scrolls
8-10 PD + 2 Bound Spells

*Only the fourth rank of the two Spear Blocks go onto the table in a reserve status. This is a BoT/BiB ratio of 89.5% with only 110 points of 2250 not fighting from the outset.

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