8th Ed. Tactics vs Dark Elves

[Professor_Skink]

Hey guys, I'm going to be playing dark elves for the first time soon, and I expect the guy to run Morathi, executor and witch hordes, most likely with a cauldron and warlocks. What kind of tactics or units should I use and what should I expect from these baddies?
Thanks a ton

 

[Skinquisitor]

I would suggest salamanders for blocks, they have mostly T3. and skink skirmishers for the small units, and a slann with high lore + loremaster. You can easily outmanuever the blocks, while being able to clear off the chaff

 

[SilverFaith]

Rule number 1 against huge Witch Elf units: NEVER, EVER fight them head on, unless you HAVE to. They have frenzy, and therefore HAS to charge (or pass a leadership test). Abuse that with redirecters.

As mentioned, salamanders can take out half of the unit with a single, wellplaced shot, which can even end up forcing a panic test. They really do work wonders.

Despite my dislike of skinks, they really are the best choice for witch elf block. pepper them with shots, stand and shoot, and you easily kill more than you spend, while slowly thinning their numbers.

 

[Kblock]

Rule number 1 against huge Witch Elf units: NEVER, EVER fight them head on, unless you HAVE to. They have frenzy, and therefore HAS to charge (or pass a leadership test). Abuse that with redirecters.

As mentioned, salamanders can take out half of the unit with a single, wellplaced shot, which can even end up forcing a panic test. They really do work wonders.

Despite my dislike of skinks, they really are the best choice for witch elf block. pepper them with shots, stand and shoot, and you easily kill more than you spend, while slowly thinning their numbers.

I second this thought. I had a Temple Guard unit meet a horde of Witch Elves with the Cauldron head-on and in two rounds, my TG were dead. I was only able to take care of the Witch Elves by getting both a flank and rear charge to disrupt their ranks and bonus attacks.

 

[Rettile]

yeah, redirect them and use sallyes, but remember that frenzy makes them ItP, so no panic test sadly

 

[SilverFaith]

yeah, redirect them and use sallyes, but remember that frenzy makes them ItP, so no panic test sadly

Wait, really?

I didn't known that. Hell, our entiire local group is running that wrong then. I assumed they did, because our Dark Elf players automatically makes panic tests, regardless of frenzy, when he loses the required number of models. Hell, everyone does, so that's rather odd.

Might need to bring that to attention. Though of course, it doesn't make sallies any less powerful against witch elves - it still burns through them like dry leaves.

 

[Skinquisitor]

you might find high lore 6th spell usefull also. at least 50% of the pack will be decimated, just go for a 6 dice roll, and cross fingers

 

[SilverFaith]

Or if you know you are facing these guys, just take lore of fire.

Fulminating flame cage can evaporate the entire unit the moment they declare a charge. At only 11 casting value, you can easily 2 dice it by throwing a fireball at the unit first, to get the +1d3 to your casting roll.

No need to risk a miscast to get off the overly expensive no-save spells, especially when you are merely facing T3 models with no save to speak of.

 

[Skinquisitor]

High loremaster>>>fire lore

 

[Putzfrau]

Dwellers.