Among all the special choices in the high elven arsenal, few can match up to the accuracy and power of a unit of dragon princes. These guys truly deserve their noble titles.
With a very competitive statline, boasting two attacks each, the DPs can be likened to SMs when it comes to raw destructive power, but they benefit from being mounted on barded steeds with dragon armour and shields, ergo, they survive longer than SMs. Couple this with their proud mounts, who despite barding, still have enough movement left to charge enemy heavy cavalry on almost every occasion.

What are the drawbacks then? Obviously, they cost a pretty penny, for the price of one, you could get two elite infantry models. And when a unit has to be 5 models or more, even a minimum sized unit is a considerable chomp out of our points allowance. And if the princes happen to suffer from the rubber lance syndrome* they rarely hold for long, due to elven strength which is not boosted outside of the charge.

However, all elven units are expensive, the positive side to a unit of 5 dragon princes is that even at such a small size, they can prove to be both a serious asset and a serious threat. While many enemies can avoid our SMs with clever movement and interception, few enemies can avoid a 16" charge range.

DPs are a true offensive cavalry unit, with weapon skill and strength enough to deal damage where it counts, and with speed enough to be where they are needed. While their command units cost quite a bit, the ability to carry minor magic items and a hefty 50 points magic banner means you can give the DPs immunity to fear & terror, grant them the ability to negate psychology, and perhaps most popular, the ability to travel unaffected through difficult terrain.

Their dragon armour also give them immunity to all breath weapons and flaming attacks, something that can be quite useful when you're faced with certain enemies. Flamers of tzeentch are powerless against them, and a burning cannonball bounces of the enchanted armour like acorns off an umbrella.

I shouldn't have to say this, but a unit of DPs is not a main combat unit, at all. Their strength lies in the charge, and after that they are nothing more than heavily armoured, slightly more skilled elven warriors. Frail and weak, they are unlikely to deal many wounds after the charge, and despite heavy armour, are quite susceptible to being wounded themselves. And with their high pricetag, having a unit boast static combat resolution is like sailing into an iceberg.

No, a unit of DPs is best used as a flank charger or support charger, cutting at the enemy using their impressive movement and high number of attacks. They rely on other units to bring the static combat resolution, while they bring the active combat resolution. In the elven army, DP's should try to help any unit, although anvil units are to be preferred, since these units tend to require support to win combats. So providing help for units like Phoenix Guards or Spearmen could be prioritized in order to free these, usually larger, units up to engage new foes. Freeing up smaller units by means of a flank charge is always good, but a larger unit is usually a bigger asset on the battlefield.

Adding a character to a unit of dragon princes boosts their combat potential significantly, but it also paints a veritable target marker on the unit, "Eggs in one basket" as they say. A popular powerhouse combo is to have the army battle standard bearer join the unit, he will give the unit more combat resolution, and even a good increase in hitting power, if you stick the battle banner on him, you tilt the scales further in your favour, look out for stubborn or unbreakable units though. Nevertheless, a unit of 5 or six dragon princes, character or not, is a force to be reckoned with. With the right magic item or with the support from a Battle Standard Bearer, they can even hold should they suffer from rubber lances*. Although this is not a foolproof solution, and should the big bad wolf attack, you might find your eggs smashed with no frying pan in sight.



Like all units in the elven army, they work best when used in cohesion with other units, and in many cases in the elven army, the best synergy is achieved when they work with units different than their own. Dragon princes have the movement to be where they need to be, but the elven general must learn to hold back, lest his dragon princes turn to sitting ducks. What I mean is that while you technically can reach the enemy a good one or possibly two turns before your infantry units, you probably shouldn't, unless you want to invite a flank charge on your dragon princes, or if your plan is to break through the enemy line and kill all war machines or some such plan.

At any rate, when using dragon princes, the elven general must take into consideration that a single unit is dangerous on it's own, but with clever positioning and charging, they can not only make themselves worth their points, but also help other units make themselves useful.

*Rubber Lance syndrome is when a unit of lance-carrying cavalry units "fluff" their rolls, that is, they miss and/or fail to wound. This usually means that the unit will lose, something that holds true for all units, but when considering that the entire point of a cavalry model is to provide active wound making, the despair caused from rubber lances becomes all the more palatable.