8th Ed. how to deal with Dark Elf pegasus spam (4)

[rantapanda]

I face DE peg spam regulary.
What works is take a WD Slann, searing doom his flyers to bits,
Take 3 pimped up Oldbloods, ots/dawnstone/aod + topreservation/steghelm + featherfoe torch/stuff.
Mainly sit back, put the OBs into skink cohorts. The champion can take the first challenge and then the OB can decimate the peg guy afterwards. OBs are also safe from bolters in cohorts. Slann can also be guarded in cohorts by a champ+OB. 2x5 CO to area deny fast cav and/or go get bolters.
Witch ferries can be double fleed my skinks.
Terradons have proven quite good as well with rock dropping and being fast cav. Be sure they are near the general so they dont panic and flee.

 

[FRYtheEGGofQUANGO]

Character Charges: don't charge DEs on Pegs with units. Have your characters charge out of a unit assuming that the charge distance is safe. This way the DE on Peg won't tie down your entire unit, and your warriors can hunt down other targets. This is especially important if the DE charges one of your monsters; get your character over there ASAP and you might be able to save your monster.

I've never gone up vs this kind of dark elf list, but... surely a stegadon will hold up in a prolonged fight vs a tough elf character who only has 3 str 4 attacks to offer? I'd have thought this would be useful for tying down his characters. Can you explain this to me please?

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

I've never gone up vs this kind of dark elf list, but... surely a stegadon will hold up in a prolonged fight vs a tough elf character who only has 3 str 4 attacks to offer? I'd have thought this would be useful for tying down his characters. Can you explain this to me please?

Speed is one issue. The peg knights are far quicker than the Steg, so he can avoid the combat if he wishes. Also, consecutive rounds of bolt thrower fire pose a big danger to the Steg.

 

[airjamy]

I have a DE army. Played with a Peg list a few times but got bored since it's so cheesy. Here's my take on how you beat it.

Challenge: when the DE on Peg charges by himself, he HAS to accept any challenge made. This is where you arm an OB with blade of realities, or a SV with Obsidian blade. Yes you have an average AS and no WS, but most of the DE points are in defensive items (granting 1+ AS and WS), so offense is weak. Often they charge with a lance. Challenge with your champion first and waste the DE's lance charge, then challenge with your OB or SV. Very rare that DE should be able to kill your OB or SV, since they are rarely built for offense. Another nice tool to have is a character with the Other Trickster's Shard in base contact.

Chakax: If there is an anti-DE on Peg character out there, it just might be Chakax. I know what you're thinking... he's only a hero with 2 wounds and 3+ AS, and always strikes last. Yes.... but.... in a challenge he has a 5+ WS and his opponent has ASL as well. That takes care of the DE's ASF re-rolls. Furthermore all that Chakax needs is a single hit against the DE, and one of his cheesy magic items is destroyed on a 5+. Even if the DE is able to kill Chakax, eliminating crown of command, ward saves or magic weapons this way becomes priceless. (oh, and strength 7 isn't too shabby either, that 1+ AS is a 5+ now). Chakax is expensive at a whopping 270 points, but in my experience he's been worth it, especially with models that have to issue or accept challenges (WoC).

Character Charges: don't charge DEs on Pegs with units. Have your characters charge out of a unit assuming that the charge distance is safe. This way the DE on Peg won't tie down your entire unit, and your warriors can hunt down other targets. This is especially important if the DE charges one of your monsters; get your character over there ASAP and you might be able to save your monster.

"Bolt Throwers": Multi-wound no AS weapons are effective. Yes, the giant bow on the Steg usually misses, but Hand of Glory is useful here. The Amber Spear does not require a to-hit-roll and can be boosted for D6 wounds. You can't rely on this strategy to succeed, but it's a good one to add.

Magic: This is an overrated method to deal with DEs on pegs. This is because they will usually be dispelled. Swapping for searing doom or having Wandering Deliberations is still a useful strategy to have.

Diversify: There is NO single anti-DE on Peg tactic! Don't rely on using one single strategy for dealing with DEs on pegs. The more tools you have in your toolbox, the more likely you will be able to deal with them. When I played DEs I wasn't worried about the opponent who had one single powerful strategy against me, but the one who had multiple smaller, but effective ones.

Some interesting points being made here, i personally think that the two strongest lists in the competetive meta right now are the warlock, pegasus, bolt thrower and dark rider DE army and the prince, unkillable BSB and bloodcrushers from WOC army. I have lost some games in tournaments against both, but charging my heroes is an interesting strategy. I might also take champions on some units simply to catch their charge, it should be good! A really good player will never allow their pegasi to be killed by bolt throwers, or magic for that case (but players have less control about magic, so ok) so i really think you are right saying that you need to have a combination of answers. Nice suggestions.

 

[LTERALUS]

I face DE peg spam regulary.
What works is take a WD Slann, searing doom his flyers to bits,
Take 3 pimped up Oldbloods, ots/dawnstone/aod + topreservation/steghelm + featherfoe torch/stuff.
Mainly sit back, put the OBs into skink cohorts. The champion can take the first challenge and then the OB can decimate the peg guy afterwards. OBs are also safe from bolters in cohorts. Slann can also be guarded in cohorts by a champ+OB. 2x5 CO to area deny fast cav and/or go get bolters.
Witch ferries can be double fleed my skinks.
Terradons have proven quite good as well with rock dropping and being fast cav. Be sure they are near the general so they dont panic and flee.

How exactly do you presume to take a Slann and 3 Old Bloods? Certainly not going to happen in a 2500 list. Since you plan to pimp them up, that would mean running at least a 5000 point game.

 

[LTERALUS]

I've never gone up vs this kind of dark elf list, but... surely a stegadon will hold up in a prolonged fight vs a tough elf character who only has 3 str 4 attacks to offer? I'd have thought this would be useful for tying down his characters. Can you explain this to me please?

I agree that the Steg can hold their own, but the true strength of the Steg is not in spending turns against a single model he can't even thunder stomp, but to be smashing light infantry units to smithereens. DL with re-rollable 1+ AS (3+ against Steg) and 4+ WS will have no problem outlasting the Steg. The point is to free your monster up ASAP so that it can do its real job.

 

[rantapanda]

How exactly do you presume to take a Slann and 3 Old Bloods? Certainly not going to happen in a 2500 list. Since you plan to pimp them up, that would mean running at least a 5000 point game.

Easily?
Ob/co,gw,ots,aod,ds + Ob/co,gw,sh,top + Ob/co,gw,fft,dh,toe + Slann/wd,ds,bc,bs
--> 1183 points
So you can fit them even to a 2400 point game. It even fits into an etc game.

 

[LTERALUS]

Ea


Easily?
Ob/co,gw,ots,aod,ds + Ob/co,gw,sh,top + Ob/co,gw,fft,dh,toe + Slann/wd,ds,bc,bs
--> 1183 points
So you can fit them even to a 2400 point game. It even fits into an etc game.

Ok. So end of times rules. 50% lords. That works. Nasty! I'm going to try that

 

[laribold]

Yet again, another example of why 50% Lords and 50% Heroes is a bloody stupid rule...

50% Lords and Heroes combined, I don't have a problem with. But potentially taking 75% of your army as characters?!? Mental.
I saw one 'army' (and I use the word advisedly) that consisted of 2 units of 9 Knights of the Realm, 1 Unit of 3 Peg Knights, 2 Paladins, 1 Level 4 and FOUR Bretonnian Lords... all of them fairly well tooled up. It instantly made me want to add the Sword of Anti-Heroes into my list somewhere.

(You could make a 40 strong unit of Skink Chiefs if you wanted though...)

 

[NIGHTBRINGER]

Ok. So end of times rules. 50% lords.

Since it was entered in the BRB Errata, it is arguable that the rule is official even outside of end times.

 

[borkbork]

It instantly made me want to add the Sword of Anti-Heroes into my list somewhere.
..)

The sword of anti heroes was already standard equipment in my orc list before the upped the limits on characters. It almost never disappointed when the limit was 25%-25%, so it only became a better bargain.

And thx for all the sugestions so far. I will ask the dark elf player for a rematch soon, after i am done with a dung load of term papers.

 

[rantapanda]

After playing for some time now with 50% of lords.. I think it actually is quite a good thing for our lizards, compared with the 25% rule. You can tool up an Ob to deal with almost anything (a scarvet you cannot). Since lizards dont really have anything else than slanns, saurus characters and skinks. Having more saurus characters is good.
I too also though that 50% rule is stupid but.. Nah. In etc environment its quite ok.
Just to say ir out loud, My favorite warhammer is this "patrol" comp games where basicly all lords, superheroes and big monsters are banned with other various restrictions so unit sizes and points. Alot of fun when its basicly core vs core ^^