My spare room is now fully unpacked. That means once I'm back, I'm going to be working hard on assembling/painting some miniatures. Looking forward to it!
Everyone have a good week!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
On vacation!
I'm off to Vegas for a few days (my first time there), so I'll be away from the blog for a bit, but have no fear, I have the remainder of the Dark Elf posts coming up throughout next week!
Everyone have a good week!
Everyone have a good week!
Friday, August 6, 2010
News for week ending 8/6/10
- Avalanche Press had a busy week. Polish Steel is now available... which could mean it's shipping or in production (they are never quite clear). A New Panzer Grenadier Supplement, Go For Broke (featuring some of America's toughest fighters in the later years of WWII) is available for order. Rome at War: Fading Legions is back in print, this time with cardstock maps.
- L2 has begun shipping Grand Fleet! Many people have doubted it would ever happen, I'm lead to believe, so it's great to see L2 finally release something. Apparently, there's talk that they will be reprinting an old Avalon Hill game, but no word as to which game.
- Operations Special Issue #3 is in print, and should be available after WBC. This should cover a variety of MMP's games, as well as include two IGS games. I'll have more information at some point.
Also, I received my issue of Against the Odds #29, including the game Buffalo Wings.
Going to Vegas next week! Also, I'm unpacked enough to start dreaming about playing games again. Every day I get closer to having a non-news post come up makes me more and more excited!
Dark Elves in 8th, Part 6: Magic Items (Arcane Items)
Although many of the Arcane Items are cool, its important to keep in mind that you're going to be a little limited due to only taking a sorceress or two in your army.
Book of Ashur
Not really going to help you much. Especially not for its points cost. Pretty poor item.
Black Staff
Not very good with the changes to bound spells. I guess you could use it to have a single sorceress cast Power of Darkness more than once (maybe?), but it's going to be easier to cast the spell yourself, and since you're pretty likely to get it off these days, this item is just a waste.
Feedback Scroll
You're paying a high amount of points to try to damage an opponent's wizard. I don't really think it's worth it- the points spent here are better spent on trying to get more offensive magic out of your own sorceresses, I think.
Scroll of Leeching
This scroll is kind of cool, but I don't think it's going to be powerful or useful enough to warrant its cost. You certainly won't be putting it on one of the 1-2 sorceresses you're taking.
Sivejir's Hex Scroll
Pretty funny, but another scroll that's just not worth taking. Players likely will be running higher level wizards to take advantage of the bonuses provided by their level, meaning you're not likely to see this work.
Power Scroll
I'm not sure. A lot of players are talking about running this on a cheap flyer, flying next to your opponent's lines, and then throwing every die you can at a spell for it to go off, hoping that the miscast causes additional damage to the unit near the wizard. I don't like it. It feels against the spirit of the game, but I bet people end up seeing that. I personally can't see myself using it, but if you're interested, do it on a Supreme Sorceress (on 7 die, this trick will always work) with the Pendant of Khaeleth. You'll get it off, and likely survive the miscast to go and cause havoc later on. There are a few ways to stop flying sorceresses before they can pull this off, but there are other ways to get it to work too. Of course, it's possible that it won't do enough damage to warrant trying this. Hard to say at the moment.
Wand of Jet
Not so good. Use the Sacrificial Dagger instead.
Forbidden Rod
Has a pretty good chance to kill any Dark Elf sorceresses that tries to use it. Dark Elves have their own ways to generate more dice as well. I would skip it.
Staff of Sorcery
Might be worth it, but I think Dark Elf magic users should be equipped more offensively. Especially higher level magic users, who are going to be more effective than a level 2 Sorceress with this item at dispelling spells.
Trickster's Shard
Not worth it. You want your spells to go off, not try to salvage something useful after it's been dispelled. Use your points to get a better item.
Focus Familiar
Still a great item. Some spells have very short ranges, and using this you can extend your ranges without having to try for the harder-to-cast versions of those spells. This is definitely a top 2 Arcane Item for Dark Elf players.
Darkstar Cloak
A free Power Die is actually handy since it's hard to say how many you're going to get each turn. Power of Darkness is the better alternative here, of course, but if you're running enough Sorceresses, you may as well take this. Probably not for normal sized games.
Sacrificial Dagger
I'm convinced this is going to make Dark Elves THE scary magic race. There's a few benefits- it's a free die to every spell that sorceress casts, for the cost of a single Dark Elf soldier per spell. You get to see your roll before choosing to use the item as well. That's key. You can make sure to successfully cast those 'off by one' spell rolls, you can be very efficient in casting Power of Darkness, and you can see your risk for Irresistible Force/Miscasts. It's just a great item made even better by the changes to the magic phase.
Earthing Rod
A onetime help on the miscast table. No thanks. Take some protection from the results instead.
Dispel Scroll
Only taking one hurts, but it's still helpful to take it since magic is SO powerful now. You never know when someone will roll a 20-something on a spell without IF, and this is your only protection. Worth taking.
Power Stone
Not necessary if you're a Dark Elf since the Sacrificial Dagger and Power of Darkness give you plenty of dice.
Tome of Furion
Not bad, but it's hurt by the fact that there are better magic items you could take.
Sceptre of Stability
First, it's Arcane, which is sad because you have better Arcane Items. Second, you have the Seal of Ghrond, which is more useful over the course of a game. I don't see much place for it.
Channeling Staff
Alright, 15 points to slightly increase the chance that ONE of your wizards generates a die through channeling. Don't take it.
Scroll of Shielding
This is actually pretty useful, but I don't think you're going to see it widely in Dark Elf lists because there are plenty of good Arcane Items here. Perhaps if you're running Sorceresses solely for defense, but it still wouldn't be the first item you take. Not likely to see use.
Book of Ashur
Not really going to help you much. Especially not for its points cost. Pretty poor item.
Black Staff
Not very good with the changes to bound spells. I guess you could use it to have a single sorceress cast Power of Darkness more than once (maybe?), but it's going to be easier to cast the spell yourself, and since you're pretty likely to get it off these days, this item is just a waste.
Feedback Scroll
You're paying a high amount of points to try to damage an opponent's wizard. I don't really think it's worth it- the points spent here are better spent on trying to get more offensive magic out of your own sorceresses, I think.
Scroll of Leeching
This scroll is kind of cool, but I don't think it's going to be powerful or useful enough to warrant its cost. You certainly won't be putting it on one of the 1-2 sorceresses you're taking.
Sivejir's Hex Scroll
Pretty funny, but another scroll that's just not worth taking. Players likely will be running higher level wizards to take advantage of the bonuses provided by their level, meaning you're not likely to see this work.
Power Scroll
I'm not sure. A lot of players are talking about running this on a cheap flyer, flying next to your opponent's lines, and then throwing every die you can at a spell for it to go off, hoping that the miscast causes additional damage to the unit near the wizard. I don't like it. It feels against the spirit of the game, but I bet people end up seeing that. I personally can't see myself using it, but if you're interested, do it on a Supreme Sorceress (on 7 die, this trick will always work) with the Pendant of Khaeleth. You'll get it off, and likely survive the miscast to go and cause havoc later on. There are a few ways to stop flying sorceresses before they can pull this off, but there are other ways to get it to work too. Of course, it's possible that it won't do enough damage to warrant trying this. Hard to say at the moment.
Wand of Jet
Not so good. Use the Sacrificial Dagger instead.
Forbidden Rod
Has a pretty good chance to kill any Dark Elf sorceresses that tries to use it. Dark Elves have their own ways to generate more dice as well. I would skip it.
Staff of Sorcery
Might be worth it, but I think Dark Elf magic users should be equipped more offensively. Especially higher level magic users, who are going to be more effective than a level 2 Sorceress with this item at dispelling spells.
Trickster's Shard
Not worth it. You want your spells to go off, not try to salvage something useful after it's been dispelled. Use your points to get a better item.
Focus Familiar
Still a great item. Some spells have very short ranges, and using this you can extend your ranges without having to try for the harder-to-cast versions of those spells. This is definitely a top 2 Arcane Item for Dark Elf players.
Darkstar Cloak
A free Power Die is actually handy since it's hard to say how many you're going to get each turn. Power of Darkness is the better alternative here, of course, but if you're running enough Sorceresses, you may as well take this. Probably not for normal sized games.
Sacrificial Dagger
I'm convinced this is going to make Dark Elves THE scary magic race. There's a few benefits- it's a free die to every spell that sorceress casts, for the cost of a single Dark Elf soldier per spell. You get to see your roll before choosing to use the item as well. That's key. You can make sure to successfully cast those 'off by one' spell rolls, you can be very efficient in casting Power of Darkness, and you can see your risk for Irresistible Force/Miscasts. It's just a great item made even better by the changes to the magic phase.
Earthing Rod
A onetime help on the miscast table. No thanks. Take some protection from the results instead.
Dispel Scroll
Only taking one hurts, but it's still helpful to take it since magic is SO powerful now. You never know when someone will roll a 20-something on a spell without IF, and this is your only protection. Worth taking.
Power Stone
Not necessary if you're a Dark Elf since the Sacrificial Dagger and Power of Darkness give you plenty of dice.
Tome of Furion
Not bad, but it's hurt by the fact that there are better magic items you could take.
Sceptre of Stability
First, it's Arcane, which is sad because you have better Arcane Items. Second, you have the Seal of Ghrond, which is more useful over the course of a game. I don't see much place for it.
Channeling Staff
Alright, 15 points to slightly increase the chance that ONE of your wizards generates a die through channeling. Don't take it.
Scroll of Shielding
This is actually pretty useful, but I don't think you're going to see it widely in Dark Elf lists because there are plenty of good Arcane Items here. Perhaps if you're running Sorceresses solely for defense, but it still wouldn't be the first item you take. Not likely to see use.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Dark Elves in 8th, Part 6: Magic Items (Talismans)
Black Amulet
This isn't a bad item, but is it really worth 25 more points than a Talisman of Preservation for a chance to do more wounds occasionally? I don't think so, personally.
Talisman of Preservation
For 5 points cheaper you can take the Pendant, which is usually better. However, this is always usable which is a nice feature at times. Certainly not a bad choice, especially if the Pendant is already being used.
Obsidian Lodestone
Pretty good, and probably going to be pretty standard for at least one character to take. 3 Null Talismans is the same points with the same effect, so you could protect two units from magic using this.
Ring of Darkness
It's only going to be useful with the Glittering Scales if you're going for that sort of build. Other than that, it doesn't provide that much help against shooting, and will only help you in close combat slightly.
Pendant of Khaeleth
A fantastic item, made even better because it's a great defense against suffering miscasts. I would expect to see this in every list for one of the characters.
Talisman of Endurance
Inferior to the Pendant and really not a good value for the protection it offers.
Obsidian Amulet
I don't really see much point of this, honestly. If you're going to get the protection from MR, why not get MR(3)? If you don't have the points, then I suppose this suffices.
Seal of Ghrond
A good choice in 8th edition, given how dispel dice are generated. You're going to love having an extra dispel die from time to time, and you aren't really paying all that much for it. Will find its way in a few lists. Since Magic Resistance changed to a ward save, you're going to need to find other ways to power your dispelling ability.
Pearl of Infinite Bleakness
If you have a Sorceress with the Sacrificial Dagger, you'll want to include this. Keeping the unit from running for whatever reason will be a huge help, especially later in the game when your greedy sacrificing is causing panic checks.
Ring of Hotek
They've changed this item so that it only affects wizards casting their spells within a specific range (instead of targeting). Overall, I think this change is better for the game, although this really hurts the utility of the item. Unless you are running the build that people occasionally tried in 7th (Master on a Dark Pegasus, Ring of Hotek, and Cloak of Hag Graef with a crossbow and lance), I don't think you're going to see this make any more appearances.
Dawnstone
Taking this with the Armor of Darkness provides some pretty great protection for cheap. Of course, if you lose your armor save, you're screwed, but even an armor piercing weapon will still provide you enough of a chance to use this. I could see taking it from time to time.
Opal Amulet
I don't think this is going to be worth it. One-time protection just isn't going to cut it when you're going to see a lot more attacks coming at you.
Obsidian Trinket
If you're only looking at MR(1), it's probably not going to be worth it... for a character. On a unit it's kind of cool, but generally you're better off taking a weapon for that unit if you can.
Null Talisman
Just read what I wrote about the Obsidian Lodestone, Amulet, or Trinket to see what I think for this choice. Overall, you'll probably see it.
Talisman of Protection
A 6+ Ward for a character really isn't going to protect you much. Pass.
Seed of Rebirth
A 6+ Ward for a character that you can negate easily is going to help you even less.
Dragonbane Gem
A fantastic addition to your defensive load if you aren't already taking a Talisman. Partners very well with the Armour of Eternal Servitude.
Pidgeon Plucker Pendant
Oooooh, a very specialized 5+ ward save! Probably not much use in this edition. Utterly worthless against a lot of armies.
Luckstone
Even though it's 5 points, I don't see it ever getting used. You need better things if you want good protection.
This isn't a bad item, but is it really worth 25 more points than a Talisman of Preservation for a chance to do more wounds occasionally? I don't think so, personally.
Talisman of Preservation
For 5 points cheaper you can take the Pendant, which is usually better. However, this is always usable which is a nice feature at times. Certainly not a bad choice, especially if the Pendant is already being used.
Obsidian Lodestone
Pretty good, and probably going to be pretty standard for at least one character to take. 3 Null Talismans is the same points with the same effect, so you could protect two units from magic using this.
Ring of Darkness
It's only going to be useful with the Glittering Scales if you're going for that sort of build. Other than that, it doesn't provide that much help against shooting, and will only help you in close combat slightly.
Pendant of Khaeleth
A fantastic item, made even better because it's a great defense against suffering miscasts. I would expect to see this in every list for one of the characters.
Talisman of Endurance
Inferior to the Pendant and really not a good value for the protection it offers.
Obsidian Amulet
I don't really see much point of this, honestly. If you're going to get the protection from MR, why not get MR(3)? If you don't have the points, then I suppose this suffices.
Seal of Ghrond
A good choice in 8th edition, given how dispel dice are generated. You're going to love having an extra dispel die from time to time, and you aren't really paying all that much for it. Will find its way in a few lists. Since Magic Resistance changed to a ward save, you're going to need to find other ways to power your dispelling ability.
Pearl of Infinite Bleakness
If you have a Sorceress with the Sacrificial Dagger, you'll want to include this. Keeping the unit from running for whatever reason will be a huge help, especially later in the game when your greedy sacrificing is causing panic checks.
Ring of Hotek
They've changed this item so that it only affects wizards casting their spells within a specific range (instead of targeting). Overall, I think this change is better for the game, although this really hurts the utility of the item. Unless you are running the build that people occasionally tried in 7th (Master on a Dark Pegasus, Ring of Hotek, and Cloak of Hag Graef with a crossbow and lance), I don't think you're going to see this make any more appearances.
Dawnstone
Taking this with the Armor of Darkness provides some pretty great protection for cheap. Of course, if you lose your armor save, you're screwed, but even an armor piercing weapon will still provide you enough of a chance to use this. I could see taking it from time to time.
Opal Amulet
I don't think this is going to be worth it. One-time protection just isn't going to cut it when you're going to see a lot more attacks coming at you.
Obsidian Trinket
If you're only looking at MR(1), it's probably not going to be worth it... for a character. On a unit it's kind of cool, but generally you're better off taking a weapon for that unit if you can.
Null Talisman
Just read what I wrote about the Obsidian Lodestone, Amulet, or Trinket to see what I think for this choice. Overall, you'll probably see it.
Talisman of Protection
A 6+ Ward for a character really isn't going to protect you much. Pass.
Seed of Rebirth
A 6+ Ward for a character that you can negate easily is going to help you even less.
Dragonbane Gem
A fantastic addition to your defensive load if you aren't already taking a Talisman. Partners very well with the Armour of Eternal Servitude.
Pidgeon Plucker Pendant
Oooooh, a very specialized 5+ ward save! Probably not much use in this edition. Utterly worthless against a lot of armies.
Luckstone
Even though it's 5 points, I don't see it ever getting used. You need better things if you want good protection.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Dark Elves in 8th, Part 6: Magic Items (Armour)
Onto Armor!
Armour of Living Death
You can turn your Dreadlord into T4! Oh wait, that's still pretty low. This is not the way to keep your Dreadlord alive. Especially for its points cost.
Armour of Destiny
Not bad... but you'll get more mileage out of running the Armour of Eternal Servitude with the Dragonbane Gem. If either of those are taken (and the Pendant of Khaeleth is already taken) THEN this becomes useful. Not a bad choice for throwing on a BSB however, since he's not likely to be the primary person to get the better items.
Trickster's Helm
It's a cool item, but for its cost I don't think it's going to be much help. Dark Elves are T3- you're going to be getting wounded so easily anyway that re-rolling isn't going to save you.
Armour of Silvered Steel
Take the Armour of Darkness instead. 20 points cheaper for a 1+ save. That's a ton better (and cheaper).
Armour of Fortune
It's not bad, but not great. 5+ isn't a high enough ward save to get excited about, but it's fine for its points. Given that you're not taking tons of characters, I would find better ways to equip them. Also, for non-flaming attacks, the Armour of Eternal Servitude is better.
Armour of Eternal Servitude
It's pretty fantastic, especially since you can combine it with the Dragonbane Gem to get good all-around protection, for a very reasonable cost.
Helm of Discord
This is kind of a cool item, honestly, but it's useless against some armies, and not really great against most. I bet there are armies out there that could make good use of it, but I don't think Dark Elves are one of them.
Glittering Scales
Unless you're trying one of the builds with the Ring of Darkness, this item isn't worth it. If you are trying one of those builds though, please let me know how it's working!
Shield of Ptolos
It's not very difficult for Dark Elf characters to get to 1+ armor save, or even to 2+. Designed for other armies.
Cloak of Hag Graef
This only helps if the character is on his own (or in a small enough unit), and if you're doing that, you're better off with the Pendant, or some other protection. No thanks.
Armour of Darkness
Still a great buy. 25 points nets you the best armor save you can get. Combined with the Pendant, you're VERY well protected. Makes a great item for your BSB, Dreadlord, or any combat hero.
Shield of Ghrond
Basically, you consider yourself to be Toughness 4. As I've said, that's really not enough protection, especially since you can't take other magic armour if you take it. Don't take it.
Spellshield
Better ways to get Magic Resistance. Don't take it.
Gambler's Armour
A 6+ ward save isn't worth spending 20 points on. Again, don't take it.
Blood Armour
This wasn’t a good item in 6th, but is not a terrible choice in 8th. Most people are saying that the Black Dragon Egg will work with this, and as far as I can tell, this works. That means this is a VERY easy way to get to a 1+ armor save. Coupled with a high Initiative as well as a halberd (a great choice for Dark Elves these days), you are going to get a great armor save for very cheap. Consider taking it.
Dragonhelm
I really like this, because it's a great counter for the Lore of Metal and pairs fantastically with the Pendant of Khaeleth. If you're trying to get good protection on your character, this is a good addition.
Enchanted Shield
If Dark Elves could pay 5 points for this, it would be great. Since they have to pay 15 for now, it's really not worth it. You can get a plain shield, and pick up the Dragonhelm for the same benefit, and a ward save against flaming attacks.
Charmed Shield
Not a good choice, even for its points. You aren't made much more survivable by having a single chance to ignore a hit.
Armour of Living Death
You can turn your Dreadlord into T4! Oh wait, that's still pretty low. This is not the way to keep your Dreadlord alive. Especially for its points cost.
Armour of Destiny
Not bad... but you'll get more mileage out of running the Armour of Eternal Servitude with the Dragonbane Gem. If either of those are taken (and the Pendant of Khaeleth is already taken) THEN this becomes useful. Not a bad choice for throwing on a BSB however, since he's not likely to be the primary person to get the better items.
Trickster's Helm
It's a cool item, but for its cost I don't think it's going to be much help. Dark Elves are T3- you're going to be getting wounded so easily anyway that re-rolling isn't going to save you.
Armour of Silvered Steel
Take the Armour of Darkness instead. 20 points cheaper for a 1+ save. That's a ton better (and cheaper).
Armour of Fortune
It's not bad, but not great. 5+ isn't a high enough ward save to get excited about, but it's fine for its points. Given that you're not taking tons of characters, I would find better ways to equip them. Also, for non-flaming attacks, the Armour of Eternal Servitude is better.
Armour of Eternal Servitude
It's pretty fantastic, especially since you can combine it with the Dragonbane Gem to get good all-around protection, for a very reasonable cost.
Helm of Discord
This is kind of a cool item, honestly, but it's useless against some armies, and not really great against most. I bet there are armies out there that could make good use of it, but I don't think Dark Elves are one of them.
Glittering Scales
Unless you're trying one of the builds with the Ring of Darkness, this item isn't worth it. If you are trying one of those builds though, please let me know how it's working!
Shield of Ptolos
It's not very difficult for Dark Elf characters to get to 1+ armor save, or even to 2+. Designed for other armies.
Cloak of Hag Graef
This only helps if the character is on his own (or in a small enough unit), and if you're doing that, you're better off with the Pendant, or some other protection. No thanks.
Armour of Darkness
Still a great buy. 25 points nets you the best armor save you can get. Combined with the Pendant, you're VERY well protected. Makes a great item for your BSB, Dreadlord, or any combat hero.
Shield of Ghrond
Basically, you consider yourself to be Toughness 4. As I've said, that's really not enough protection, especially since you can't take other magic armour if you take it. Don't take it.
Spellshield
Better ways to get Magic Resistance. Don't take it.
Gambler's Armour
A 6+ ward save isn't worth spending 20 points on. Again, don't take it.
Blood Armour
This wasn’t a good item in 6th, but is not a terrible choice in 8th. Most people are saying that the Black Dragon Egg will work with this, and as far as I can tell, this works. That means this is a VERY easy way to get to a 1+ armor save. Coupled with a high Initiative as well as a halberd (a great choice for Dark Elves these days), you are going to get a great armor save for very cheap. Consider taking it.
Dragonhelm
I really like this, because it's a great counter for the Lore of Metal and pairs fantastically with the Pendant of Khaeleth. If you're trying to get good protection on your character, this is a good addition.
Enchanted Shield
If Dark Elves could pay 5 points for this, it would be great. Since they have to pay 15 for now, it's really not worth it. You can get a plain shield, and pick up the Dragonhelm for the same benefit, and a ward save against flaming attacks.
Charmed Shield
Not a good choice, even for its points. You aren't made much more survivable by having a single chance to ignore a hit.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Dark Elves in 8th, Part 6: Magic Items (Weapons)
Well, there are a lot of magic items in the new edition, so to save people from having to read one post with a wall of text, I'm going to break this up somewhat.
First, I'll start with weapons, and each category of magic weapons will follow.
One thing to keep in mind is that you have units that can take magic items: Black Guard and Cold One Knights. It's probably worth throwing a cheap item on them if you take either of those units, so that you can make them more effective (and give them a way to handle ethereal models).
Executioner's Axe
Always Strikes Last is a huge deal when you're a T3 model on foot. Being able to do multiple wounds is nice, but even if you're using the ASF banner so that you can strike at I8, you're still not likely to get many swings. This weapon is of course even less useful given all the infantry you'll likely see. Ditch it.
Giant Blade
Brings you up to S7, which is where you want to be to go after some of the big things in the game. A little costly, but it still leaves you enough points to take a magical armor (Armour of Eternal Servitude is a good choice) plus something small to give you some options. You can also take a mount, which can get you where you need to be.
Sword of Bloodshed
More attacks are going to be very handy in this edition. Combine with a Potion of Strength on your Dreadlord to really lay into big things. Of course, for 25 fewer points, you can take a Hydra Blade, which isn't reliable, but probably more cost effective. I likely won't be taking this.
Sword of Ruin/Obsidian Blade
I wouldn't bother with these, as you actually have fairly effective means of breaking through armor saves. Your KB assassins, Hydras, and Black Guard w/ AP attacks should do a fine enough job in that role.
Web of Shadows
Not worth it. 50 points to do a bunch of weak hits to a single model just isn't going to provide any benefit the army doesn't already have.
Chillblade
It's a fairly worthless item. It's only really helpful against characters (it's actually WORSE against single-wound units) or Monstrous anything, but it's not very likely to work against either. It's a lot of points for a slim chance to stop something from attacking.
Ogre Blade
Strength 6 is going to be very handy as well, but this is a pretty expensive way to go about it. For 15 points less, you can get the Crimson Death, which actually performs slightly better. Leave it out.
Sword of Strife
As good as the Hydra Blade for 5 points more. You'll probably take this over it, because it's more reliable, but if you need the 5 points for a combo or whatever, the Hydra Blade is a fine replacement.
Heartseeker
This is mostly pointless, as you already re-roll to hit in the first round of combat. You're paying the points here for the chance to re-roll wounds. With S4, that's handy, but you're better off paying the points for more attacks usually, or more bodies in a unit.
Hydra Blade
This is cheap enough to stick on a hero with something else. It's great if you take a Potion of Strength, and it's random enough to be annoying at times, but overall it's a good value, and it's probably going to be very handy for a cheap hero when you're going against all those units.
Caledor's Bane
It probably won’t to see much use. It's better than a lance for a lot more points. Negating Scaly Skin is nice against certain armies, and worthless against others. You also have to be mounted to use it. Perhaps with some of the Dragon Lord builds it may come in handy, but that will take a few games to determine its utility.
Fencer's Blades
WS10 is interesting. Combined with the Ring of Darkness and Glittering Scales on your Dreadlord, you will make it very tough to hit you in close combat (as well as provide the unit with protection against shooting). They'll need to be WS 9 or 10 to hit your Dreadlord on anything but a 6. Of course, what role could he really fill? Who knows? I'd pass unless trying it out actually shows some merit.
Dagger of Hotek
Kind of pointless. If you're really concerned about getting ASF, you're better off taking the Banner of Hag Graef.
Lifetaker
This is still pretty fantastic, especially now that the shots count as magical attacks. It's worth giving to your Sorceresses even. Put a Supreme Sorceress with this and the Guiding Eye (and maybe a Focus Familiar) in a unit of Crossbowmen (of decent size) and you'll have a fantastic shooting unit with a VERY impressive single turn of shooting at some point. Throw this in any list somewhere, just to take advantage of the easy magical shots.
Sword of Anti-Heroes
This will not be much use. Players are not going to be running multiple heroes in the same unit these days, and the benefits of meeting a single hero in unit are pretty light.
Crimson Death
Still fantastic. Your Dreadlord or Master can take this to strengthen up their attacks and still have plenty of points for other magic items (combines well with many of them). You could also put this on a Champion in a unit of Black Guard for three attacks that always re-roll to hit. Another Magic Weapon that will get a lot of play.
Deathpiercer
Still pretty effective, as Killing Blow is still really helpful, but I don't know if there's a good way to get a character wielding this delivered effectively. I'll give it a shot from time to time, however.
Whip of Agony
An inferior Crimson Death, but this lets you take a shield to be only S5. Armor Piercing means you're still doing a good job on breaking armor though. If you've already given the Crimson Death to someone, this is a fine choice.
Spellthieving Sword
The effect of this sword will so rarely be useful; I can't see ever spending the points on it.
Sword of Swift Slaying
Again, for the most part, you're better off taking the Banner of Hag Graef instead of this if you're so concerned about getting ASF. I don't really see much point, since you're pretty high Initiative to start, so this is another item that won't get much play.
Berserker Blade
Really not a bad choice. Our Sword of Battle is the same cost, so with this you gain Immune to Psychology with only a small drawback. There's potential here, especially for various 'hard to kill' lords (since he can ignore a lot of Psych effects).
Soulrender
Not bad, but you'll need to combine it with something to provide either ASF (Banner of Hag Graef) or protection (Pendant of Khaeleth) to get the most out of it. It's affordable though, and it's probably worth it if you can afford ASF or the protection.
Sword of Striking
I'd skip it. You have hatred to help with hitting, and there are not too many cases where you'll really need the +1.
Sword of Battle
We have to pay 20 points for this instead of the 15 that's listed in the BRB. I'd take the Berserker Sword instead.
Sword of Might
Another item that's cheaper in the BRB. Only worth taking if you badly need a magic weapon, but even so it's probably not worth it. Most times, take a Halberd instead.
Gold Sigil Sword
Moving from I7 or I8 to I10 isn't going to get you going ahead of many things in the game. Skip it.
Relic Sword
A fairly good item, but only really helpful against T6 or higher models. It's a cheap magic weapon, however, and you will need some magic weapons to handle ethereal models, so might be worth throwing on a character if you don’t have it covered otherwise.
Shrieking Blade
Eh, Fear isn't as good as it used to be, so I don't think it's worth taking.
Tormentor Sword
Cheap magic weapon, but Stupidity is not likely to provide much benefit, especially since you'll be in combat with the target anyway, which means they won't be testing for stupidity until either they've broken (and hopefully been run down), or you've broken (which is bad).
Warrior Bane
Don't bother. Better than the Tormentor Sword for cheap magic weapons, but I don't see it being useful enough to warrant inclusion. But only 5 points! If you need a magic weapon somewhere, this makes a good second choice (behind the Relic Sword).
Biting Blade
Dark Elves have to pay 10 points for this instead of 5. Sad. If you need a cheap magic weapon, this also can come in handy... but you're probably better off taking a slightly more expensive option.
First, I'll start with weapons, and each category of magic weapons will follow.
One thing to keep in mind is that you have units that can take magic items: Black Guard and Cold One Knights. It's probably worth throwing a cheap item on them if you take either of those units, so that you can make them more effective (and give them a way to handle ethereal models).
Executioner's Axe
Always Strikes Last is a huge deal when you're a T3 model on foot. Being able to do multiple wounds is nice, but even if you're using the ASF banner so that you can strike at I8, you're still not likely to get many swings. This weapon is of course even less useful given all the infantry you'll likely see. Ditch it.
Giant Blade
Brings you up to S7, which is where you want to be to go after some of the big things in the game. A little costly, but it still leaves you enough points to take a magical armor (Armour of Eternal Servitude is a good choice) plus something small to give you some options. You can also take a mount, which can get you where you need to be.
Sword of Bloodshed
More attacks are going to be very handy in this edition. Combine with a Potion of Strength on your Dreadlord to really lay into big things. Of course, for 25 fewer points, you can take a Hydra Blade, which isn't reliable, but probably more cost effective. I likely won't be taking this.
Sword of Ruin/Obsidian Blade
I wouldn't bother with these, as you actually have fairly effective means of breaking through armor saves. Your KB assassins, Hydras, and Black Guard w/ AP attacks should do a fine enough job in that role.
Web of Shadows
Not worth it. 50 points to do a bunch of weak hits to a single model just isn't going to provide any benefit the army doesn't already have.
Chillblade
It's a fairly worthless item. It's only really helpful against characters (it's actually WORSE against single-wound units) or Monstrous anything, but it's not very likely to work against either. It's a lot of points for a slim chance to stop something from attacking.
Ogre Blade
Strength 6 is going to be very handy as well, but this is a pretty expensive way to go about it. For 15 points less, you can get the Crimson Death, which actually performs slightly better. Leave it out.
Sword of Strife
As good as the Hydra Blade for 5 points more. You'll probably take this over it, because it's more reliable, but if you need the 5 points for a combo or whatever, the Hydra Blade is a fine replacement.
Heartseeker
This is mostly pointless, as you already re-roll to hit in the first round of combat. You're paying the points here for the chance to re-roll wounds. With S4, that's handy, but you're better off paying the points for more attacks usually, or more bodies in a unit.
Hydra Blade
This is cheap enough to stick on a hero with something else. It's great if you take a Potion of Strength, and it's random enough to be annoying at times, but overall it's a good value, and it's probably going to be very handy for a cheap hero when you're going against all those units.
Caledor's Bane
It probably won’t to see much use. It's better than a lance for a lot more points. Negating Scaly Skin is nice against certain armies, and worthless against others. You also have to be mounted to use it. Perhaps with some of the Dragon Lord builds it may come in handy, but that will take a few games to determine its utility.
Fencer's Blades
WS10 is interesting. Combined with the Ring of Darkness and Glittering Scales on your Dreadlord, you will make it very tough to hit you in close combat (as well as provide the unit with protection against shooting). They'll need to be WS 9 or 10 to hit your Dreadlord on anything but a 6. Of course, what role could he really fill? Who knows? I'd pass unless trying it out actually shows some merit.
Dagger of Hotek
Kind of pointless. If you're really concerned about getting ASF, you're better off taking the Banner of Hag Graef.
Lifetaker
This is still pretty fantastic, especially now that the shots count as magical attacks. It's worth giving to your Sorceresses even. Put a Supreme Sorceress with this and the Guiding Eye (and maybe a Focus Familiar) in a unit of Crossbowmen (of decent size) and you'll have a fantastic shooting unit with a VERY impressive single turn of shooting at some point. Throw this in any list somewhere, just to take advantage of the easy magical shots.
Sword of Anti-Heroes
This will not be much use. Players are not going to be running multiple heroes in the same unit these days, and the benefits of meeting a single hero in unit are pretty light.
Crimson Death
Still fantastic. Your Dreadlord or Master can take this to strengthen up their attacks and still have plenty of points for other magic items (combines well with many of them). You could also put this on a Champion in a unit of Black Guard for three attacks that always re-roll to hit. Another Magic Weapon that will get a lot of play.
Deathpiercer
Still pretty effective, as Killing Blow is still really helpful, but I don't know if there's a good way to get a character wielding this delivered effectively. I'll give it a shot from time to time, however.
Whip of Agony
An inferior Crimson Death, but this lets you take a shield to be only S5. Armor Piercing means you're still doing a good job on breaking armor though. If you've already given the Crimson Death to someone, this is a fine choice.
Spellthieving Sword
The effect of this sword will so rarely be useful; I can't see ever spending the points on it.
Sword of Swift Slaying
Again, for the most part, you're better off taking the Banner of Hag Graef instead of this if you're so concerned about getting ASF. I don't really see much point, since you're pretty high Initiative to start, so this is another item that won't get much play.
Berserker Blade
Really not a bad choice. Our Sword of Battle is the same cost, so with this you gain Immune to Psychology with only a small drawback. There's potential here, especially for various 'hard to kill' lords (since he can ignore a lot of Psych effects).
Soulrender
Not bad, but you'll need to combine it with something to provide either ASF (Banner of Hag Graef) or protection (Pendant of Khaeleth) to get the most out of it. It's affordable though, and it's probably worth it if you can afford ASF or the protection.
Sword of Striking
I'd skip it. You have hatred to help with hitting, and there are not too many cases where you'll really need the +1.
Sword of Battle
We have to pay 20 points for this instead of the 15 that's listed in the BRB. I'd take the Berserker Sword instead.
Sword of Might
Another item that's cheaper in the BRB. Only worth taking if you badly need a magic weapon, but even so it's probably not worth it. Most times, take a Halberd instead.
Gold Sigil Sword
Moving from I7 or I8 to I10 isn't going to get you going ahead of many things in the game. Skip it.
Relic Sword
A fairly good item, but only really helpful against T6 or higher models. It's a cheap magic weapon, however, and you will need some magic weapons to handle ethereal models, so might be worth throwing on a character if you don’t have it covered otherwise.
Shrieking Blade
Eh, Fear isn't as good as it used to be, so I don't think it's worth taking.
Tormentor Sword
Cheap magic weapon, but Stupidity is not likely to provide much benefit, especially since you'll be in combat with the target anyway, which means they won't be testing for stupidity until either they've broken (and hopefully been run down), or you've broken (which is bad).
Warrior Bane
Don't bother. Better than the Tormentor Sword for cheap magic weapons, but I don't see it being useful enough to warrant inclusion. But only 5 points! If you need a magic weapon somewhere, this makes a good second choice (behind the Relic Sword).
Biting Blade
Dark Elves have to pay 10 points for this instead of 5. Sad. If you need a cheap magic weapon, this also can come in handy... but you're probably better off taking a slightly more expensive option.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Our July Competition Results
Alright, the competition's basic rules (and competitors) are here, near the bottom. The winners for this month:
Painting: Ben wins this, since he is the only one who put any paint on his models. Pretty embarrassing for the rest of us ;).
Playing Games: With 4 tournament sized games of Warhammer, plus competing in a campaign, Frans takes this category.
Blogging: Because I can't do anything but TALK about games, I end up winning here.
Construction: Our closest category by far. Frans and Rob both assembled a lot of models, but the point for July goes to BK! With a lot of models for both Warmachine and Warhammer, he narrowly edged out the competition.
My spare room is mostly set up... mostly. That means I'm hoping to start competing in some of the other categories too. You can bet that our group isn't going to make it easy on any of us to get these points!
Scores so far:
Ben: 1 (1 Painting)
Frans: 1 (1 Playing)
Steve (me): 1 (1 Blogging)
BK: 1 (1 Construction)
Rob: 0
Nathan: 0
Time to start working on August!
Painting: Ben wins this, since he is the only one who put any paint on his models. Pretty embarrassing for the rest of us ;).
Playing Games: With 4 tournament sized games of Warhammer, plus competing in a campaign, Frans takes this category.
Blogging: Because I can't do anything but TALK about games, I end up winning here.
Construction: Our closest category by far. Frans and Rob both assembled a lot of models, but the point for July goes to BK! With a lot of models for both Warmachine and Warhammer, he narrowly edged out the competition.
My spare room is mostly set up... mostly. That means I'm hoping to start competing in some of the other categories too. You can bet that our group isn't going to make it easy on any of us to get these points!
Scores so far:
Ben: 1 (1 Painting)
Frans: 1 (1 Playing)
Steve (me): 1 (1 Blogging)
BK: 1 (1 Construction)
Rob: 0
Nathan: 0
Time to start working on August!
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