Druchii.net

Greetings everyone! Sorry for a rather long post, but those of you who have commented on my army lists in the past knows me for this :p

I am attending one of the bigger Jutland tournaments this february - "Aarhus Bigga 'Un", the second installment in the series. It features a "Hard Choice" and "Soft Choice" pool comp, where your start comp score is 5, and every hard choice subtracts one, whilst every soft choice adds one up to a max 5 of each. The comp score is not used for pairings, instead whenever a game begins, every player rolls a d6 and adds their comp score. The higher value chooses the scenario, giving the softer armies a chance to pick the scenario its a) built for or b) can defeat the harder list in. This means that for example with a comp score of 0, any list with comp 5 or higher is guaranteed to pick scenario. Not only that, but the comps core is added to the rolloff to choose board sides and to determine who gets first turn. So, high comp = initiative whilst lower comp = hard hitters. In short:

Either build a low comp list expecting to never choose scenario, and build the list so it can handle anything or

Build a high comp list which is really, really good in one specific scenario no matter the opposition.

The dark elf hard choices are pretty harsh, and can be summarised: warlocks, pegasus masters (but not lords), fast cav characters, big WE units, many shades, 3+ bolt throwers, Hellebron, Morathi and Malekith, as well as the following magical items: cloak of twilight, ring of hotek, ogre blade. For me this unfortunately means the good magic items might as well be flat out banned.

The soft choices are 'bad' in the sense they are pricy for really poor units: 2nd medusa, shrine, hydra, 30+ spearmen and so on.

I can not see myself playing a list that is anything beyond comp 4-5, since the soft choices are simply (in my view) not worth it once I filled in all the nasty choices which I like and have experience with. (I have 0 experience playing war hydras and big spear blocks for example).

Also note the end times magic rules are NOT used for the event!


Long story short: It boils down to 3 options for me.


Option one: Standard Pegasus Hell


Now, when I say "standard", I of course mean load up as many nasty stuff as at all possible!

Pegasuslord, black amulet, great weapon, OTS <-- he is free in the comp
Lvl 4 on steed, dark magic, mr(2) and dispel scroll <-- first fast cav char is free
Pegasus master, ToP and charmed shield, BSB <-- 1 HC
Pegasus master, AoD <-- 1 HC
Steedmaster (since im out of good wards), pot of strength, sword of anti heroes <-- 1 HC for 2nd fast cav char. He is a real hardhitter, but is soft too. He rides with the lvl 4.

Core filled with darkshards and dark riders.

4 RBT <-- 1 HC
8 shades <-- more board control
10 Warlocks <-- 1 HC, lvl 4 and steedmaster goes here

Comp score: big old 0.

The plan is very simple. Eat whatever scenario my opponent selects, deploy behind terrain and then full throttle. I played it in a test tournament where I got a very respectable 4th place after playing two 10-10 draws and a 20-0 win. I am experienced with pegasus play, and it can also be an ETC preparation since almost no matter what, pegasus characters WILL be a feature in DE ETC lists in 2015


Option two: Cold One Bus


This is a tailor list to play one specific scenario.

Dreadlord on CO with giant blade, OTS, dawnstone
Lvl 4 on steed, dark or beasts or maybe high elf high magic for the bus ward!, dispel scroll and mr(3) <-- first fast cav free
Master on CO, BSB, ToP, charmed shield
2 cheap masters on CO, full mundane <-- free in the comp so far!
Core full of 3x5 DR and 3x10 WE to give many drops

13 knights, swiftness banner and FC
2 RBT <-- to keep them free in comp, I might drop these
Bloodwrack medusa <-- used to be soft choice, now you only get one soft choice from taking two, so I will likely drop her for some harpies
10 Warlocks <-- 1 HC

Comp score: Used to be 5, but with the medusa changed its 4 as of now. I might drop the bolt throwers and medusa and convert their points into a hydra or similar, or make the list into an eternity king list and take a soft choice from the WE or HE book. For example 10 shadow warriors.

Plan is again very simple. Choose meeting engagement, place all of my cheap drops reasonable away from the central line. Once my opponent has deployed "the target", I deploy the bus straight across, and charge ASAP.



Option Three: Malekith


The final option. Which I am very tempted for. Malekith.


Malekith, the Eternity King <-- 5 HC on his own, and list can not benefit from soft choices!
BSB on either eagle or cold one
Lvl 2 high, scroll, steed <-- gives ward to the demi-bus
Core consists of DR, WE and as many trueflight glade guards as I can take (I believe 14 is max without it being a hard choice)
10-13 knights with razor banner

And well, thats it. Comp score 0, but with two highly mobile blenders in the form of 20" ethereal move knights plus Malekith, the hands down strongest combat char whos only weakness is enemy magic.




Sooooooo. What to play? The Malekith list is a little 'thin' once he takes out the first 1000 points, leaving very little support for him but... With his magic toolbox (loremaster shadow) and his scary close combat prowess, I do not see how a charge from him + the hypermobile bus can ever be held by anyone. Also imagine if I get walk between worlds in high magic. The cold ones and Malekith both can potentially move 40" each turn =)

I'm not a tournament player... but considering this comp I wonder if it wouldn't be an option to try a big block of spears with a Bloodwrack Shrine. The shrine boosts even a small unit of spears to uncountable ranks, and since it picks up 3 of the 5 positions in the front rank, it's possible to put a Sorceress in second rank. This gives you a near untouchable Sorc shennenigans. With a combat char on foot and perhaps a peg char, some mobile or heavy shooting and you have a list they can't break quickly for a soft score.

This comp system sounds pretty unfair and hard to balance, but but gotta go with what you get... There is still not much point to play really soft lists, and that kind of compensation wont help a lot... At least it makes variations in lists people bring.

Playing the peg hell would be sensible, if it would not lose certain scenarios like Blood and Glory and the Watchtower... So I would throw that out of the window.

Malekith army ... Cant say much about that, but seems little one sided... That list can be beaten if those hard hitters can be isolated or hindered, also it cant answer to every threat it might face, even it packs combat power..

Your bus is best choice due its flexibility, even rhough it needs little optimizing... No point taking one medusa, but I would keep bolters

They all looks strong Tbh.

I think the Peg list looks the most reliable, the Bus list strong vs certain opponents, and the Malekith list the most fun (for you )

I'd go with your own recent experience to make the choice.

The Malekith looks fun to play, but personally I can't really see past list 1. It is effective, tried and tested and gives a good balance.

Thanks for the comments

It all adds up to what I aim for in the tournament I guess... If I want as high a placement as possible I should probably play the pegasus hell, but Malekith would be a maybe-once-in-the-foreseeable-future chance to field this monster in an actual tournament. Its all about what I want to support him... If only I could fit a high beastmaster in with him! +d3 attacks since he is troop type monster xD

It might end up with the pegasi. Sadly, I have to play that one as a mono DE list, since the Eternity King list has a limit of 3 fast cavalry including characters... Well either that, or my core would be rather static. But imagine! 3-4 pegasi, 10 warlocks, a lvl 4 on steed, 5-7 sisters of the thorn, poison arrow glade guards in core. Bye war machines, hello free advance of my fliers. But this would mean zero dark rider units... Whats better?

The bus was more of a gimmick I came up with. With a comp score of 4-5, I will still roll-off against other soft lists, and soft gunlines could be a real issue. However against hard lists, my opponent will be forced to deploy extremely cautiously, or risk a huge charge turn 1... But the problem is, if I cant get those charges, the list just falls apart as it has zero room for support.