High Elves: Brainstorm #5

Where are my dragons?!

Disaster has struck.  I will not be getting my book or minis anytime soon because of GW stock shortages in North America.  I don't know what the case is, but it seems like the same thing happened with Tau.  Damn the luck.  Regardless, here's the final part of the book review as we close to release date.  I'll probably release one more article tomorrow detailing army lists because I won't have my frozen turkeys to put on the table! FFFFFFFFFFFFF

Special Characters

Tyrion - 3/5
Well, I don't have much to say here.  He's still really well armored, fast as all hell and can take a lot of damage.  The real solid thing is that he's now off a monster base and his rules have been cleared up.  With a 18" IP, he's a pretty solid general on the battlefield.  However, you're paying an awful a lot of points for someone who puts out barely enough damage over a S7 Prince.  A little bit of a shame for the greatest warrior in the known world I'd say.  Sure, he doesn't really die, Sunfang needs to do a little more than just shoot out a S4 breath attack once a game.  D3 wounds or something man.

Teclis - 3.5/5
I am a bit sad.  Why?  Because my favorite SC in all of Warhammer have been nerfed into the dirt.  I'll say it flat out:  I'd rather see Teclis stay the same and be banned in every single comped game than to see him like this.  Overall, not bad terrible because they lowered his price and made him a Lv.5 Wizard.  His staff has completely changed so instead of being a one-man magic phase, he's now a second-string Slaan who becomes even punier after one round of good magic.  His spell flexibility has changed a lot; gaining either Loremaster High Magic with +6 to cast due to Lileath's Blessing, or 8 spells from each of the 8 lores.  Oh, and he also keeps his Scroll of Hoeth so you can have two scrolls in your army if you take him and a supporting mage.  Overall, not bad.. but for 450 big ones, I will pass on Teclis in this edition.

Alith Anar - 3.5/5
For his new points cost of 250, Alith is worth looking at.  His BS7 and S7 D3 wounds no AS Quick to Fire Moonbow at 36" is something really special.  Shadow Crown gives him and his unit Swiftstride, Stone of Midnight provides Alith with a 4+ Ward and enemies shooting at the unit suffers -1 to hit.  The only thing I wish is that they gave him a Great Weapon, or in fact, gave all Shadow Warriors Great Weapons.  As fast as he is with that I9 ASF, he's still swinging with a regular hand weapon.  Boo..


Eltharion the Grim - 3.5/5
Overall, not bad I'd say.  Stormwing now comes with ASF and Eltharion is still a slightly buffed up Prince.  S6 no AS from Fangsword, MR1 and counts as Lv.2 Wizard that can use any of the 8 lores.  His helm gives both him +1AS and 5+ ward to him and Stormwing.  Not the best, but definitely not the worst.  Griffons have improved slightly because of their points and such, and Stormwing is definitely a stronger Griffon with his stats as well.

Korhil - 3/5
I can't say I'm too happy with what they did to Korhil.  Everything stays the same minus the fact that he's now 10 points more expensive.  I was really hoping he would get something to compensate the fact that he's a SC with only a 4+ AS and is supposed to be in close combat.  I don't get this philosophy.. at least make him dangerous enough to threaten everything with HKB or give him a dodge save.  Even with Stubborn, I can't justify ever taking him over someone more armored.  A shame because I really like the model/character too.

Caradryan - 4/5
Saw a minor points decrease, a few nerfs, but generally makes up for it with the fact he can take a +1A Frostheart Phoenix named Ashtari as a mount.  He's now MR1 but gains ItP and 4+ Ward via Witness to Destiny.  His Halberd still kicks ass with D3 wounds S5 Flaming, but his suicide trick is now D3 wounds no AS instead of D6.  I guess GW was tired of him purposely dying to a Chaos Lord and making back double his points.  Regardless, his ability to take a Ashtari in the Hero slot makes him a great choice.  With MR1 on Ashtari's 5++, we're looking at a solid 4++ vs. MMs.

Alarielle - 4.5/5
I'm going to flat out say it:  She's really damn good.  She gives the entire unit 5+ ward vs. non-magic attacks.  Her entire unit is Immune to Fear and Terror and deal magical attacks.  And she can mix and match her spells from Life, Light or High Magic.  She still needs to roll for those spells.  Let's face it, she has a bunch of other special rules that changes the army dynamics immensely.  She unlocks a magical banner that gives spell cast from Lore of Light and Life +4 to cast.  An item that gives +1 to hit on all shooting and CC for the remainder of the turn.  Can once a game pop her staff to allow her to cast a spell she already cast that turn.  And she heals a friendly character every one of her movement phases.  Just loaded with rules, some for fluff, some for use, but all of which are all quite good.  Shit, she even has HKB vs. Forces of Destruction with her beastly 1 attack.  For a little more than an AM with Book of Hoeth, she's definitely the best SC in the book.

Magic Items

Blade of Leaping Gold - 1/5
Trash, really?  You wasted one of our magic slots for this?  At 70 points, I can't even buy any good combo pieces off it and take protection for my lord-level character.  +3 attacks and 6s ignore armor, whatever man.

Star Lance - 4/5
For 30 points, this is a strong buy.  The fact that you can use a GW after you charge is only icing on the cake.  +3S no AS and you get your nice ASF re-rolls, this is a mounted Noble/Prince's dream weapon.  Solid for the points and allows you to stack on more defensive gear.  Something you actually need in today's meta.

Reaver Bow - 4/5
It's really cheap and it's good.  Shoots from 30" away, is a +1S bow with Multiple Shots 3.  Pop a Potion of Strength and have it it man.  Everyone can be like Alith for a turn, sorta.

Shadow Armor - 1.5/5
Light armor sucks man.  5+ AS, Scouts, Strider.  I'm really excited.  Still better than Blade of Leaping Shit.

Armor of Caledor - 4/5
2+ AS, 6+ Ward, Fireborn 2+ ward vs. Fire.  Not a bad item and it will see play on every single important walking dude.  This gives us two 2+ AS to put on our guys, and arguably the BSB's/Loremaster's best friend.  Solid all the way through.

Shield of the Mermrym - 3.5/5
Strong defensive choice, gives you a 4+ Parry and is dirt cheap.  You can't use a 2H weapon with this, but if you're taking a combo piece like +3S Sword + this, it's not a bad idea.  Allows you to equip things you otherwise wouldn't because it's a ridiculous way to offer a pseudo-ward in close combat.

Golden Crown of Atrazar - 4/5
I don't know about you guys, but I like this little piece.  It's incredibly cheap and gives you a 2+ ward vs. the first wound taken.  Great if you don't want to spend points on a more expensive ward, and allows you to escape KBs, multiple wounds or some other unforseen action on your mage for example.  The price is the big seller here.

Moranion's Wayshard - 2/5
It's pretty expensive for something I'd rather see in the Wood Elves book.  Gives a unit of 30 Spears or Archers Ambush and he must be in that unit.  Sure, I guess you can do something crazy with it, but that demands that you do something crazy.

Khaine's Ring of Fury - 4/5
It's cheap, it's good, and it has Soul Quench Bound Level 3.  A great offensive tool that when cast, activates the Shield of Saphery Lore Attribute.  Sounds like a good deal man.

Gem of Sunfire - 1.5/5
A pretty limited once per game item.  Sure, all of your flaming attacks (including your mount) does +1 to wound, but are you Tyrion?  Or maybe someone who's in a unit with the Flaming Banner?  This just screams Dragon Mage to me and you all know how I feel about that flying poopsicle.

Cloak of Beards - 2.5/5
First of all, why are you not +1AS?  It gives you Fear, which is cool.  Terror vs. Dwarfs, which is great, but I hate it when you hate on a particular enemy.  In turn, Dwarfs gain Hatred vs. you because you're wearing his grandfather's scalp on your face.  Seems a little mean when you can just challenge someone from the Dwarf army and if he's stupid enough to accept, at the start of the CC phase just roll a 4+ for each of his runic items to be destroyed.  Sounds beardy.  GET IT?

Book of Hoeth - 4.5/5
This is a really great item.  You will see this on every single Loremaster or Archmage from now until the next book.  It allows you re-roll a dice from each one of your casting and dispelling attempts.  Do you know how many spells you can push out now and escape broken concentration at the same time?  It's just insane how much versatility this item has.  The best part is that you can fit this in with a 2+ AS on the Loremaster or 4+ Ward on the AM.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Banner of the World Dragon - 5/5
One of the best magic items in the game.  Can be taken on all of our Elite choices pretty much and allow for absurd polar imbalances vs. particular armies (Daemons of Chaos).  Your entire unit gains a 2+ ward vs. all magic spells, attacks and weapons.  Yes, you can tank whatever magic weapon your opponent brings with even the puniest of Elves.  It's extremely powerful vs. armies that have a lot of magic missiles, magic attacks and magic weapons, but it's pretty worthless if your opponent takes none of those.  A poorly designed item I'd say, but it'll see play in almost army list that's not banned because of its points-efficiency and matchup potential.

High Elves: Brainstorm #4

Lost it at the eyes.

Alright, here we go.  Onto the Specials and Rares!  I'll probably end up talking about Special Characters and Items tomorrow along side some sample army lists that I want to try out.  I'm really liking what I see so far and I'm pretty eager to get my army onto the tabletop ASAP.

Specials

Sword Masters of Hoeth - 2.5/5
I can't really say I like what they did with the SM.  Taking away their re-rolls on Great Weapons while keeping all their other stats the same is really bad for them when Martial Prowess is factored.  They will forever be used as MSU units.  Being WS6 I5 and striking at I with 2A S5 is still good, but without their re-rolls they'll be missing a lot more.  The points drop is the only thing that's giving them any validity as of now but I can't see them being used outside of pseudo detachment units.  Take a unit that you know will hold Steadfast and then flank charge 5-7 of these the next round.  Even without re-rolls, you'll still be able to add a good amount of combat res.

White Lions of Chrace - 4.5/5
These have always been solid units and with Martial Prowess, these will remain top dog.  The reason why this is so is because they lose nothing with their 1 attack base unlike Sword Masters.  WS5 S6 hits all the right targets and striking in 3 ranks allows them to actually deal more damage than their previous re-rolls.  The delta for damage is definitely greater, but there's a chance you might fark your rolls.  Stubborn is pretty king for an Elite unit and Lion Cloak protects them from getting shot.  I can see a unit of 3x3 w/ Champ to be really popular.  Cheap, tiny ass footprint, puts out high quality attacks, and doesn't die to a sneeze like Sword Masters.

Phoenix Guard - 4.5/5
Still rock solid units.  Has Fear because they don't talk about the 4+ Ward is still there.  They only got better because of their Martial Prowess extending to the third rank.  This gives them more damage potential than they had last book while maintaining all the great things that made them a solid anvil.  No Unbreakable means that every character can join them, and no change in points cost makes them outright better than they were before.


Dragon Princes - 4.5/5
I've always liked these guys and I like them even more now that they have improved in almost every way.  They retain all their stats but their Dragon Armor now gives them 6+ Ward as default in addition to their 2+ Ward vs. Fire.  Add on the fact they now move 9 because of Ithilmar Barding and are cheaper to boot, you're literally looking at a 9 point WS5 I6 2A S5 on the charge Elf with ASF.  Why 9 points?  Because Dragon Armor alone costs 20 points on a Prince.  How's that for math?  I'll probably take these guys in 5-6x and call it a day.

Shadow Warriors - 3/5
Scout Skirmishers who hate on Dark Elves, carry Long Bows and do their jobs well for the points they got decreased to.  Overall, solid units but I see them as backseat riders compared to our other Elite infantry.

Tiranoc Chariots - 3.5/5
Much better than before, especially now that you can take them in a squadron of 1-3.  Chariots have always been an odd thing with High Elves.  They're flexible in that they can shoot, charge into combat, but can't really do all that damage outside for Impact Hits because they're still Elves.  The chariot, however, does most of the heavy lifting but with their defensive stats, if they get stuck in combat, they're pretty much toast.

Lion Chariot - 3.5/5
I want to give these guys a 4, but I just can't.  They went down in price sure, but the point decrease and Stubborn doesn't justify the fact that the White Lions on top lost ASF.  If the chariot was T5 or the AS was 3+ or maybe even both, then these chariots would be quite nice.  However, the fact that you're paying a fairly expensive price for a single chariot that has Stubborn but can't handle damage in return.  I'm a little disappointed.  Still a pretty solid choice with all things considered.

Skycutter Chariot - 4/5
First of all, the thing flies.  The Eagle Eye Bolt Thrower isn't the best thing in the world because it only shoots from 24" at S5 D3 wounds no AS, but the fact that you get a movement penalty when shooting the thing is disappointing.  Regardless, you're playing for a flying chariot that can negotiate the battlefield and apply constant threat.  It's mobility will allow it to get those flank shots and the price tag on this bad boy is what's really helping its score out.  The Warhawk pulling it so no slouch and the High Elves on top can still put out some decent damage when M10 S5 Impact hits gets in there on-demand.  A good choice for sure, probably the best chariot in the arsenal.

Rare

Great Eagles - 5/5
The best re-director in the game for High Elves have not changed one bit.  If anything, they just gave him more options than ever before, allowing you to take huge units of them due to 1+ and giving them all special abilities.  Want some ASF for that Eagle?  Why not.  What about some Armor Piercing?  We can do that too.  Although the ASF is what's really going to be amazing, I'm not sure if I want to drop 10 points on something that's just going to annoy/redirect most of the time.  I love these things, and so should you if you plan on playing High Elves.  A lot of people argue that Ellyrion Reavers will replace the Great Eagle as redirectors, pfft, not unless they fly imo.

Flamespyre Phoenix - 4.5/5
Although I'd rather see more dragons flying around in High Elves, I can't say I'm disappointed with the Phoenixes.  The Flamespyre Phoenix is a solid bird with decent stats and good abilities.  His special rules are nice and so is his 2+ ward vs. Fire and ability to resurrect.  I'd say he's one of the best designed monsters in the game with all things considered.  He's a threat on the battlefield when flying over units, when in combat with units, and when he dies with a unit nearby, he's always a threat due to that 3-5 on the Phoenix Reborn (large blast S4 flaming) or if he just comes back to life!  Great rules and balance on this unit that matches the fluff perfectly.  If you take the Anointed with him, he becomes a great points denial unit that will come back on a 5+.

Frostheart Phoenix - 5/5
I'm not going to lie to you and say these guys are a little better.  These guys are ridiculously good for their points because for 15pts more than a Flamespyre, you get +1WS/S/T/A/Ld.  S6 and T6 is huge because it puts them in the sweet spot for damage and resilience.  Combine this with the fact that you're flying around with a Ward save and this is pretty significant.  Sure, you lose the ability to resurrect, but you gain something infinitely more worrisome for your opponent:  Blizzard Aura.  Blizzard Aura is absolutely huge:  It's a meta-changer and one of the things that will carry the High Elves to victory on many battlefields.  The ASL element of the aura is fantastic; stripping away ASF on blenderlords or other high-profile units, but it's the -S that really takes the cake.  With the Frostheart in contact with an enemy unit, you're essentially looking at +1T High Elves with better armor saves (which negates the High Elves' only true weakness).  Not to mention the bird himself is harder to wound with his virtual T7.  Regardless of who you're pitting the bird against, I have high expectations for this unit changing the battlefield much more than any other unit in the book.  Well, that and one more little thing we'll cover later.

Eagle Claw RBT - 3.5/5
Went down in points and you can still take 4 of these.  You can either shoot a normal Bolt Thrower shot or choose to Volley with 6 shots at S4 AP.  Overall, not a bad pick but I'd rather see these guys go down to 50.  S6 shooting is powerful, but compared to a cannon for a few points more and it's not even close.  Still good though, and will probably see play in more shooting-based armies.

Maiden Guard of Avelorn - 3.5/5
At first, I can't say this unit impressed me. Flaming, magical S4 shots sound great on paper, but they're expensive and die to a soft breeze much like Sword Masters. The key here is to not go too expensive on these girls but use them to deal damage and strip Regen. The 24" is a limitation, but the BS5 more than makes up for it. A unit of 15 will do a good job clearing up any chaff and put out good damage vs. Forces of Destruction with their -1AS. Not a bad unit, but they will take up points in your list so you have to be careful not go crazy.

High Elves: Brainstorm #3

Core, core, core!

Let's talk about Core really quick.  No bullshit, right down to the nitty gritty.  If one thing's for certain, it's that there's tons of discussion regarding our Core right now.  This is a very good sign as it shows tons of flexibility in regards to playstyle and function.

Spearmen - 3.5/5

Pretty solid option still.  If anything, they are overlooked a lot because they're exactly the same as the last book.  I've always liked Spears.  They give a lot of bodies that absolutely shred other core-based infantry in the game and can be buffed to levels that upset a lot of people due to the amount of attacks they put out.  Compared to similar Core, High Elf Spearmen are amazing.  Not to mention they can take a magical banner while no one else in core can.  Keep that in mind!

Archers - 4/5

Went down in points, cheap, and throws out a good amount of shots.  With Martial Prowess now affecting Archers in 3-ranks, a unit of 5x3 lets loose 15 S3 shots from 30" away.  This is a great way to clear enemy chaff and they're an absolute staple to the High Elf war machine.  Always have some kind of archery in your army lists unless you're going for a pure melee approach.

Lothern Sea Guard - 3/5

These guys also went down a point and still retain the same function as before.  Sadly, they can no longer take a magical banner and much like archers, cannot take the Banner of Eternal Flame to threaten regen units from far away.  Honestly, LSG are a pretty decent unit.  They double up on shooting and function like Spearmen once they reach close combat.  You can feel comfortable with putting them in a unit of 6x5 and comfortably count 18+3+3 in terms of shots from 24" away while attacking back in 4 ranks in close combat.  Due to their flexibility and points drop vs. the unchanged Spears, they're not a bad choice.

Ellyrion Reavers - 4/5

Take these guys in 5s and never look back.  They are cheap, Fast, Vanguard cavalry which can shoot, block, obstruct charge lanes, and kill chaff.  As solid as these guys are, I can't rank them above Archers.  Archers gives you more shots, more bodies and can keep chaff without ever having to commit.  Reavers, on the other hand, should be used like Eagles that travel on the ground.  They're cheap enough that you can also  employ double flee mechanics.

Silver Helms - 4/5

I graded these guys assuming you don't take them as a Prince bus.  As a bus, I would probably give these guys the max.  With Martial Prowess extending to the third rank, you can now take a decent sized cavalry bus that can chip in more damage than they did before.  With the points of these guys coming out of Core, you can now run a Cavalry Prince with a lot less points commitment from the rest of the army.  Any bit of 2+ armor in core is good, but Ithilmar Barding, ASF and Lances.

High Elves: Brainstorm #2

Brilliant, just brilliant.

In this segment, we'll explore the Lords and Heroes, followed by Core choices in the next installment (tonight).  Please refer to my earlier post on what we know so far as a reference.  At this point, I'm 95% sure of those rumors as being in the book since they've been confirmed by several sources.

Onto the Lords and Heroes!  SCs will come later.

Prince - 3.5/5
The first thing I have to say about the Prince is that I'm a little disappointed.  While he got a slight points decrease, the 390 point Star Dragon is what's really off-putting.  For 90 points less, we have access to the Moon Dragon which has a 6s statline.  The big thing here is the points.  When taking a Dragon Lord, you have to squeeze every little bit out of this guy and with the Star Dragon being so expensive, I'm not sure how I feel about having him in the list anymore.  We'll talk about sample builds as we go along the week, but for now I'm looking at the Moon Dragon as a more cost-effective option.  The main threat of cannons being able to bring down dragons also has me a bit worried.  If dragons are not going to be effective, I'll sure as hell look into Cavalry Princes being the dominant option.

Anointed of Asuryan - 4/5
This guy is the guy to go to when fielding foot lists I'd say.  He comes with 4+ Ward, MR2, ItP, gives his unit 6+ ward, and comes stock with Fear.  His price is pretty good too, although he has worse leadership than a Prince and less attacks.  The ability to mount a Phoenix is also pretty good, especially when you factor the built-in Ward save.  MR2 gives him a 2++ vs. MM and the Phoenix gets a 3++.  He's a definite contender for having 3x Ice Phoenixes in a list, or even competing with the Prince on Moon Dragon.

Loremaster - 5/5
Very solid, I really like him.  His main function is to be a fighting Noble, being able to take a 2+ armor save while still retaining his ability to cast cheap signature spells.  He's going to be a staple in every list that wants to mix the stats of a Noble with a strong, versatile casting mage.  He puts supporting mages to shame because of his ability to mount armor, put out decent damage and spellsling at the same time.  The price tag is a little high, but I think he's worth it every game when combined with an Archmage.

Archmage - 5/5
Lv.4 every time.  Especially with the new point cost, I see him with Book of Hoeth plus either 4+ Ward or Crown every single game.  The same spell versatility makes him very appealing in magic-heavy lists, and with Book of Hoeth he can push out spells and dispels a lot easier.  Personally, I'll be fielding him relatively cheap with Book, Crown and that's it.  Push him back in the back row with a few characters and he'll be quite safe; especially if your unit will be fielding the Banner of the World Dragon.  I plan on taking him with High Magic so I can utilize Blessing of Lileath as much as possible in combination with a unit of Phoenix Guard.

Noble - 4.5/5
Looking pretty fine here.  Nothing has changed for him except the fact he lost a little bit of protection.  BSBs will be mandatory in every army, so he goes perfectly with a Cavalry Prince when mounted, or traveling in an infantry army with 2+ AS.  Having the opportunity to mount a Griffon is also pretty significant here.  I'm not entirely convinced on the beast though mainly due to cannons, no save and a potential to be expensive depending on upgrades.

Sea Helm - 2/5
Not bad, a pretty decent option when in a unit of Sea Guard.  Nice, fluffy, and offers Naval Discipline.  He's a bit more expensive than a Noble, so that alone puts him in on the bottom of my unit bucket.  The only real reason you'll use him vs. a cheaper Noble as a BSB is for Naval Discipline.. which is only really useful in a unit of Sea Guard.  However, I guess you can take him on a Sky Cutter as well for that free 4+ Ward.  Not sure how much benefit that'll give you though, but you will have a flying BSB.

Handmaiden of the Everqueen - 2/5
Used with the Everqueen, can be given Everqueen specific items that'll make Sisters of Averlorn more appealing.  Not my cup of tea, but with the Bow of the Seafearer and Quick to Fire that she confers onto the unit, she can find some use in those kind of lists.

Mage - 4/5
Small, diverse, cheaper, and can take a scroll.  Acts best as a scroll caddy and supporting caster.  Also good in a Coven of Light because of the price.

Dragon Mage - 1/5
Even with Dragon Armor and the ability to take magical armors, I'm not sure how much I'll be looking into this guy.  He lacks the flexibility of the other lores, fights to compete in points for the AM/Loremaster combo, and suffers the same problem as other Large Targets that could attract enemy fire.  Overall, I'm not feeling this guy at all.

HE rules and rumors compilation

Glory to Ulthuan!
Drawing by Aicanor

GENERIC SPECIAL RULES:
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All high elves (But not eagles, warhawks, dragons, griffons or elven steeds) have the following rules:
-Always strike first
-Martial Prowess: High elves get support attacks from an additional rank both in close combat and shooting.
-Valour of Ages: High elves reroll any failed panic, fear or terror check against an army with models from Warhammer: Dark Elves

White Lion cloak: +2 AS against shooting
Ithilmar Barding: Normal barding without movement penalty

Dragon Armor: Heavy armor, Fireborn (2+ Ward save against flaming attacks), 6+ ward save


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LORDS:
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-Prince 140 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS7,BS7,S4,T3,W3,I8,A4,LD10
Equipment: Hand weapon
-Can equip:
  -Dragon Armor: 20 pts
  -Heavy Armor: 6 pts
  -Light Armor: 3 pts
  -Shield: 3 pts
  -Lion Cloak: 6 pts, can't take along a dragon armor
  -Additional Hand Weapon: 3 pts
  -Halberd: 3 pts
  -Spear: 3 pts
  -Great Weapon: 6 pts
  -Lance: 7 pts
  -Up to 100 pts in magic items
-Can mount:
  -Sun Dragon: 235 pts - M6,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W5,I4,A4,LD7 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Moon Dragon: 300 pts - M6,WS6,BS0,S6,T6,W6,I3,A5,LD8 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Star Dragon: 390 pts - M6,WS7,BS0,S7,T7,W7,I2,A6,LD9 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Griffon: 150 pts - M6,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W4,I5,A4,LD7 Fly, Terror, Large Target.
    Can have Swiftsense (ASF) for 20 pts, and Swooping Strike (+1 S and +1 attack in charge) for 25 pts
  -Elven Steed: 20 pts, Ithilmar barding for 7 pts
  -Tiranoc Chariot (replaces one crew member): 70 pts

-Anointed of Asurian 210 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS7,BS6,S4,T3,W3,I8,A3,LD9
Special Rules: Witness to Destiny (4+ ward save), Blessings of Ausryan (6+ ward save and Immune to psichology to the unit he is in), MR 2
Equipment: Halberd, Hand weapon, Heavy armor
-Can equip:
  -Up to 100 pts in magic items
-Can Mount:
  -Flamespyre Phoenix: 225 pts
  -Frostheart Phoenix: 240 pts

-Loremaster 230 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS6,BS4,S4,T3,W3,I7,A3,LD9
Special Rules: Caster level 2, knows all signature spells from BRB lores, Deflect Shots (6+ Ward Save against BS based shooting)
Equipment: Great Weapon, Hand weapon, Heavy armor
-Can equip:
  -Up to 100 pts in magic items

-Archmage 185 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W3,I5,A1,LD9
Special Rules: Caster level 3, Lileath Blessing (+1 casting High Magic spells)
Equipment: Hand Weapon
-Options:
  -Lvl 4: 35 pts
-Can equip:
  -Up to 100 pts in magic items
-Can Mount:
  -Sun Dragon: 235 pts - M6,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W5,I4,A4,LD7 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Moon Dragon: 300 pts - M6,WS6,BS0,S6,T6,W6,I3,A5,LD8 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Star Dragon: 390 pts - M6,WS7,BS0,S7,T7,W7,I2,A6,LD9 Fly, AS 3+, Terror, Large Target, Breath S4
  -Griffon: 150 pts - M6,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W4,I5,A4,LD7 Fly, Terror, Large Target.
    Can have Swiftsense (ASF) for 20 pts, and Swooping Strike (+1 S and +1 attack in charge) for 25 pts
  -Elven Steed: 20 pts, Ithilmar barding for 7 pts
  -Tiranoc Chariot (replaces one crew member): 70 pts

HEROES:
----------------------------------------------------------------

-Noble 70 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS6,BS6,S4,T3,W2,I7,A3,LD9
-Options:
  -Can be the Battle Standard Bearer: 25 pts
-Can equip:
  -Dragon Armor: 10 pts
  -Heavy Armor: 4 pts
  -Light Armor: 2 pts
  -Shield: 2 pts
  -Lion Cloak: 4 pts, can't take along a dragon armor
  -Additional Hand Weapon: 2 pts
  -Spear: 2 pts
  -Halberd: 3 pts
  -Great Weapon: 6 pts
  -Lance: 6 pts
  -Up to 50 pts in magic items
-Can mount:
  -Griffon: 150 pts - M6,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W4,I5,A4,LD7 Fly, Terror, Large Target.
    Can have Swiftsense (ASF) for 20 pts, and Swooping Strike (+1 S and +1 attack in charge) for 25 pts
  -Elven Steed: 10 pts, Ithilmar barding for 5 pts
  -Tiranoc Chariot (replaces one crew member): 70 pts

-Sea Helm 100 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS6,BS6,S4,T3,W2,I7,A2,LD9
Special Rules: Wind Rider (4+ Ward save against shooting for his Skycutter, reroll dangerous terrain), Naval Discipline (Unit can regroup after being charged if it did not stand and shoot. Requires a leadership check)
Equipment: Trident (spear), Light armor, Hand weapon
-Options:
  -Can be the Battle Standard Bearer: 25 pts
-Can Equip:
  -Bow: 4 pts
  -Up to 50 pts in magic items
-Can Mount:
  -Skycutter Chariot: 95 pts (replaces one of the crew), can not be upgraded with a bolt thrower

-Handmaiden of the Everqueen 95 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS5,BS7,S4,T3,W2,I7,A2,LD8
Special Rules: Quicksilver Shot (Quick to fire, granted to all sisters of Avelorn in the unit)
Equipment: Bow of Avelorn (S4, Flaming, Magical, Volley fire, AP versus forces of destruction, 24"), light armor, Hand weapon
-Can equip:
  -Up to 50 pts in magic items

-Mage 85 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W2,I5,A1,LD8
Special Rules: Caster level 1, Lileath Blessing (+1 casting High Magic spells)
Equipment: Hand Weapon
-Options:
  -Lvl 1: 35 pts
-Can equip:
  -Up to 50 pts in magic items
-Can mount:
  -Elven Steed: 10 pts, Ithilmar barding for 5 pts
  -Tiranoc Chariot (replaces one crew member): 70 pts

-Dragon Mage 350 pts
Type: Infantry (Character)
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W2,I5,A2,LD8
Special Rules: Caster level 1 (Lore of fire only), Reckless (+2 to cast lore of fire spells, do not receive bonuses to dispel), Warrior Mage (First spell generated is always Flaming Sword)
Equipment: Hand Weapon, Sun Dragon
-Can equip:
  -Dragon armor: 10 pts
  -Lv.2: 35 pts
  -Up to 50 pts in magic items

CORE:
----------------------------------------------------------------

-Spearmen 9 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Equipment: Hand weapon, spear, shield, Light Armor
-Options:
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts. 1 unit can pick a magic banner worth up to 25 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts

-Archers 10 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Equipment: Long bow, hand weapon
-Options:
  -All archers in the unit can be equiped with light armor: 1 pt/each
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 BS): 10 pts

-Lothern Sea Guard 11 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Equipment: Bow, hand weapon, light armor
-Options:
  -All guards in the unit can be equiped with shield: 1 pt/each
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts

-Silver Helms 21 pts/each
Type: Cavalry
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Elven steed: M9,WS3,BS0,S3,T-,W-,I4,A1,LD5
Equipment: Heavy armor, Lance, Ithilmar barding, hand weapon
-Options:
  -All silver helms in the unit can be equiped with shield: 2 pt/each
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts

-Ellyrian Reavers 16 pts/each
Type: Cavalry
M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Elven steed: M9,WS3,BS0,S3,T-,W-,I4,A1,LD5
Special rules: Fast cavalry
Equipment: Spear, light armor, hand weapon
-Options:
  -All ellyrian reavers in the unit can exchange their spears for bows: 1 pt/each
  -All ellyrian reavers in the unit can take bows: 3 pt/each
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 BS): 10 pts

SPECIAL:
----------------------------------------------------------------

-Sword Masters of Hoeth 13 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS6,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A2,LD8
Special rules: Deflect shots (6+ ward save against BS based shooting)
Equipment: Heavy armor, great weapon
-Options:
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts. Can take a magic banner of up to 50 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts. Can take up to 25 pts in magic weapons

-White Lions of Chrace 13 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS5,BS4,S4,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Special rules: Stubborn, Forest Strider
Equipment: Heavy armor, great weapon, Lion Cloak
-Options:
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts. Can take a magic banner of up to 50 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts. Can take up to 25 pts in magic weapons

Phoenix Guard
Type: Infantry
M5,WS5,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I6,A1,LD9
Special rules: Witness to destiny (4+ ward save), causes fear
Equipment: Heavy armor, Halberd
-Options:
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts. Can take a magic banner of up to 50 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts. Can take up to 25 pts in magic weapons

Dragon Princes of Caledor 29 pts/each
Type: Cavalry
M5,WS5,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I6,A2,LD9
Elven steed: M9,WS3,BS0,S3,T-,W-,I4,A1,LD5
Equipment: Dragon armor, Lance, hand weapon, shield, ithilmar barding
-Options:
  -Standard bearer: 10 pts. Can take a magic banner of up to 75 pts
  -Musician: 10 pts
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts. Can take up to 50 pts in magic armor and weapon

-Shadow Warriors 14 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS5,BS5,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Special Rules: Skirmishers, Scouts, Hatred (Dark Elves)
Equipment: Light armor, Hand weapon, Long bow
-Options:
  -Champion (+1 attack): 10 pts. Can take up to 25 pts in magic weapons

-Tiranoc Chariots 70 pts/each (max 3 as a single unit)
Type: Chariot
Chariot: S5,T4,W4,AS5+
Crew (2 high elves): WS4,BS4,S3,I5,A1,LD8
Drawn by (2 elven steeds): M9,WS3,BS0,S3,I4,A1
Equipment: Hand weapon, Bow, Spear

-Lion Chariot of Chrace 120 pts
Type: Chariot
Chariot: S5,T4,W4,AS4+
Crew (2 high elves): WS5,BS4,S4,I5,A1,LD8
Drawn by (2 War Lions): M8,WS5,BS0,S5,I4,A2
Special rules: Stubborn, Causes fear
Equipment: Hand weapon, Great Weapon

-Skycutter chariot 95 pts
Type: Chariot
Chariot: S5,T4,W4,AS4+
Crew (3 high elves): WS4,BS4,S3,I5,A1,LD8
Drawn by (1 Warhawk): M2,WS5,BS0,S4,I4,A2
Special rules: Fly
Equipment: Hand weapon, spear, bow
-Options:
  -Can exchange one crewman for an eagle eye bolt thrower (bolt thrower rules, S5, D3 wounds, 24"): 25 pts

RARE:
----------------------------------------------------------------

-Great Eagles 50 pts/each (max 5 as a single unit)
Type: Monstrous beast
M2,WS5,BS0,S4,T4,W3,I4,A2,LD8
Special rules: Fly.
-Options:
  -Any eagle can be upgraded to have Sharp Talons (AP): 5 pts
  -Any eagle can be upgraded to have Swiftsense (ASF): 10 pts

-Flamespyre Phoenix 225 pts
Type: Monster
M2,WS5,BS0,S5,T5,W5,I4,A3,LD8
Special rules: Fireborn (2+ Ward save against fire), Flaming attacks, Fly, Large Target, Terror, Wake of Fire (1D6 S4 flaming impacts on a unit the phoenix moved over, +1D3 per rank. Once per turn)
Attuned to magic: Ward save 5+, magical attacks. Each magic phase, the phoenix gains the following effect depending on the higest dice thrown when rolling for magic winds
  -1: Ward save 6+ instead of 5+
  -2: -1 S
  -3: +1 I
  -4: +1 A
  -5: +1 S
  -6: Ward save 4+ instead of 5+
Phoenix reborn: When the phoenix dies, leave a token. Any rider dies too. At the end of the turn, roll D6, adding a +1 if the phoenix is a mount:
  -1-2: Remove the counter. The phoenix and the rider die
  -3-5: Place the large blast marker. All models under the marker suffer a S4 flaming hit, and the token remains in place.
  -6: Place him anywhere within 6" of the center, at least 1" away and remove marker. He is back with d3+2 wounds.

-Frostheart Phoenix 240 pts
Type: Monster
M2,WS6,BS0,S6,T6,W5,I3,A4,LD9
Special rules: Fly, Natural armor 5+, Large Target, Terror, Blizzard Aura (-1S and ASL to all models in a unit in contact base to base with the phoenix)
Attuned to magic: Ward save 5+, magical attacks. Each magic phase, the phoenix gains the following effect depending on the higest dice thrown when rolling for magic winds
  -1: Ward save 6+ instead of 5+
  -2: -1 S
  -3: +1 I
  -4: +1 A
  -5: +1 S
  -6: Ward save 4+ instead of 5+

-Repeater Bolt Thrower 70 pts (Can have up to 4 in a single army, 8 in a grand army)
T7,W2
Crew (2 High elves) M5,WS4,BS4,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD8
Special rules: Volley (Instead of firing a single bolt, the RBT may fire 6 S4 AP 48" shots that can not penetrate ranks)
Equipment: Hand weapon, light armor

-Maiden Guard of Avelorn 14 pts/each
Type: Infantry
M5,WS5,BS5,S3,T3,W1,I5,A1,LD9
Equipment: Bow of Avelorn (S4, Flaming, Magical, Volley fire, AP versus forces of destruction, 24"), light armor, Hand weapon
-Options:
  -Champion (+1 BS): 10 pts. Can take up to 25 pts in magic weapons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MAGICAL ITEMS:
-----------------------------------------------------

Blade of Leaping Gold - 70 points, weapon. +3 attacks, any roll to wound of 6 ignores AS.
Star Lance - 30 points, weapon. +3S and no AS on charge. After that, must use a different weapon
Reaver Bow - 20 points, weapon. 30", +1 S, Multiple shots (3)
Shadow Armor - 25 points, light armor. 5+ AS, Scouts, Strider
Armor of Caledor - 50 points, heavy armor. 2+ AS, 6+ Ward save, Fireborn special rule - 2+ ward vs. flaming
Shield of the Mermrym - 15 points, shield. Unless he's using a weapon that uses 2 hands, he has parry 4+, can be used with a magic weapon
Golden crown of atrazar - 10 points, talisman. One use. 2+ ward against first wounding hit by wearer.
Moranion's wayshard - 50 points, enchanted item. Models on foot only. Has ambushers special rule. He can give archers or Spearmen up to 30 units in size the same immediately before deployment. He has to join that unit if he does.
Kharine's Ring of Fury - 25 points, enchanted item. Soul Quench Bound Spell (3)
Gem of Sunfire - 20 points, enchanted item. All bearer's spells, shooting attacks, close combat (and his mounts) have +1 to wound, provided they also have the flaming attacks special rule.
Cloak of Beards - 10 points, enchanted item. Cause Fear. Against Dwarfs, cause Terror. Dwarfs gain hatred vs. you. At the start of each cc phase, roll d6 for each magic item carried by each model from warhammer dwarfs in base contact with wearer. On a 4+ the magic item is destroyed and cannot be used..etc.
Book of Hoeth - 55 points, Arcane item. Allows the user to re-roll a single dice from each of his casting or dispel attempts, results of 6 cannot be re-rolled.
Banner of the World Dragon - 50 points, Magical banner. 2+ Ward save against magical attacks and spells.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LORE OF HIGH MAGIC:
-----------------------------------------------------

Shield of Saphery (lore attribute)
Each time a spell is succesfully cast, the caster and his unit immediately gain +1 to their ward save to max of 3. If you don't have one, 6+. Stacks.

Soul Quench (signature)
8+, magical missile, 18"
2d6 s4 hits, or 4d6 s4 hits at 16+

Drain Magic (sig)
7+, hex or augment, 18"
all RIP spells affecting the unit are immediately dispelled, and effects of all other spells on the target unit immediately come to an end.
Can be all friendly or enemy units within 18" for 14+.

Apotehosis
5+, augment, 18"
immediately regains 1 wound, 10+ for d3 wounds. Regardless of how many wounds gained, you also gain Fear.

Arcane Unforging
13+, direct damage, 24"
Single enemy model suffers a wound on a dice grear than or equal to unmodified armor save. No AS allowed.
Target reveals to the caster all magic items, if he has more than one, randomly select one and it's destroyed on 2+.

Fiery Convocation
Cast on 19+, Direct damage, 24", RIP
Every model in the unit takes a S4 flaming hit, at the end of every subsequent magic phase, every model suffers another S4 flaming hit.

Hand of Glory
5+, augment, 18"
Target's WS, BS, I or M is +d3. You can choose all for 10+.

Tempest
12+, direct damage, 30"
Large round template within 30" of wizard, scatters d6. All models hit suffer s3 hits (models flying suffer an s4 hit instead).
Any unit that suffers suffers any unsaved wounds, suffers -1 to all hit both shooting and cc. Those that do not use BS need a 4+ to fire.

Walk Between Worlds
8+, augment, 24"
Gain Ethereal until the end of the magic phase and can immediately move to 10" as if it were remaining moves sub-phase.
Can make it go 20" on a 16"

--------------

LORDS

Eltharion:
Cost 295, Stormwing +190
Eltharion profile is M5, WS8, BS7, S4, T3, W3, I8, A4, LD10
Stormwing: Griffon, M6 WS6 BS0 S5 T5 W5 I7 A4 LD8, ASF.
Special rules: As high elves + Hatred (goblins) + Blood Oath (Ethlarion gains +1 to hit vs. Grom)
Equipment:
Talisman of Hoeth - Eltharion has MR1, counts as a Lv.2 Wiz, who uses spells from any of the 8 lores.
Helm of Yvresse - +1 to Eltharion's AS and gives him and his mount 5+ ward.
Fangsword of Eltharion - +2S, no AS caused by Fangsword
Heavy armor, long bow

Tyrion:
Type: Cavalry
Cost: 410
WS9 BS7 S4 T3 4W I10 4A Ld.10
SR: As High elves + Defender of Ulthuan - 18" presence
Equipment:
Sunfang = +3S flaming, S4 breath once a game, magical
Dragon Armor of Aenarion - 1+ AS, 4+ ward and Fireborn 2+ ward vs. fire
Heart of Averlorn - MR2, if he dies, roll d6, on a 2+ he negates the wound and the heart is destroyed

Teclis:
Cost: 450
WS4 BS4 S3 T2 W3 I5 A1 LD10
SR: Wizard level 4; Teclis does not generate spells, he either knows all of the spells from High Magic or can choose one spell from each of the 8 lores, Lileath's Blessing - +1 to cast from all lore of high magic
Equipment:
Sword of Teclis - wound on 2+ no AS
Moonstaff of Lileath - one use only - you can either choose to add a bonus power die to each casting attempt, of if teclis suffers a miscast, the miscast is ignored. In either case, Teclis' S and T are both reduced to 1 for the remainder of the game ROFL
Scroll of hoeth - one use only - same
Warcrown of Saphery - Increases his Wizard level by one, so he's a Lv.5 wizard technically

Alarielle the Everqueen:
Alarielle profile is M5, WS6, BS5, S3, T3, W3, I6, A1, LD10
Cost: 350
I believe Archmage profile, but with better I and WS
She is a lvl 4 wizard, and can generate his spells from the Life, Light or high magic lores. She doesn't need to generate all of them from the same Lore.
SR: As High elves
Lileath's blessing - Models with this special rule gain +1 to cast when using High Magic
Touch of the everqueen - her close combat attacks vs. forces of destruction have HKB
Boon of Isha - All models in the Everqueen's unit are magical. Her unit is Immune to Fear/Terror.
Chaos Bane - At the start of each of Allerille's magic phase, before rolling for winds, every unit with the demonic special rule within 12" of her suffers d6 s4 distriubuted like shooting. However, she suffers -d3 penalty to her casting attempts if there is one of more models with demon within 12" of her.
Equipment:
Stave of Averlorn - one use only, arcane. It allows Alerielle to immediately attempt to cast a spell she already cast that phase, even if failed or miscast.
The shieldstone of Isha - Talisman, the shieldstone of isha grants Alarielle and her unit a 5+ ward vs. any non-magical attacks.
At the start of her movement phase, she restores a single lost wound to a friendly character within 12" - including herself if no one else can be healed.

-If you have the Everqueen on your army, the BSB can buy the following magical banner for 40 pts:
Banner of Averlorn - Spells from Lore of Light and Life by a friendly unit containing the banner are +4 to cast. If Alarielle is slain, this is immediately lost.
-If you have the Everqueen on your army, a Handmaiden of Avelorn can buy the following item for 50 pts:
Horn of Isha. enchanted. one use, can be used at the start of one of your movement phases. For the remainder of the turn, all models in the unit receive +1 to hit on all shooting and close combat attacks.

Alith Anar:
Alith Anar is M5, WS7, BS7, S4, T3, W3, I9, A4, LD10
Cost: No idea
SR: As High elves + Hatred (DE), Scout, Skirmish
Equipment:
The moonbow - 36" S7 D3 wounds quick to fire, no AS. dark Elves suffer -1 ld.
Shadow Crown - Alith and his unit have Swiftstride.
Stone of midnight - Alith 4+ ward, enemies suffer -1 to hit when shooting against Alith or his unit.
Light armor, hand weapon

HEROES:

Caradryan:
Cost: 170, Ashtari +250

5 6 6 4 3 2 7 3 9
ASF, fear, MR1, MP, VoA, WtD (4+ ward)
Mark of Asuryan: if he dies in CC, unit takes D3 wounds no armour save. If in challenge, then the challenger takes them. Wounds count towards combat res

Ashtari 250 points
2 6 0 6 6 5 3 5 9 (so just +1 attack over a normal one)
Same rules as normal Frostheart Phoenix

Equipment:
Phoenix Blade - +1S, flaming, d3 wounds
Heavy armor

Korhil:
Cost: 150
No profiles again (Assuming noble profile)
SR: As High Elves + Stubborn, Forest Strider
Equipment:
Chayal - +2S, Paired Weapon, Killing Blow
Pelt of Charandis - Korhil counts his AS as one higher vs. CC, 2 points higher vs. non-magic shooting. Poison does not auto wound, wound as normal.
Heavy armor

HE rumors on some points cost

More stuff.

Source #1
Spears: same
Archers: 5 Skaven Slaves, half a slave for light armour
PG: same
Swordmasters: 6.5 slaves, great weapons (don't re-roll)
Dragons: 117.5 slaves ;150 slaves ;195 slaves
Griffons: 75 slaves
Heroes may ride Griffons
Prince: 70 slaves
Mage: 42.5 slaves
Archmage: 92.5 slaves
Additional magic levels: 17.5 slaves (contradicts another report from an apparent book owner, probably just a mistake in typing)
Shadow warriors: Cannot have additional weapon

Source #2
Core: Spearmen 8 (+1 shield).
Archers 10 (+1 LA)
LSG 11 (+1 shield)
SH 21 (+2 shields)
Reavers 16 (+1 to substitute spear with bow; +3 to get bows in addition to spears)

Special: Tiranoc 70
Lion Chariot 120
Skycutter 95 (+25 to substitute one crew member with Eagle eye BT)
SM 13
WL 13
PG 15
DP 29
SW 14

Rare: fire Phoenix 220
Frost Phoenix 235 (IIRC)
Eagle Claw BT 70
Great Eagles (in 1+ model units) 50 (+5 penetrating strikes, +10 ASF)
Sisters of Avelorn 14.

Prince 140, Noble 70, Mage 85 (?), Archmage 185 (??). Something like that.

Source #3
Here we go:

Basic:
Spearman: 9
Archers: 10
Seaguard:11
SH:21
Erillyon: 16

Especial:
PG: 15
DP:29
Flying chariot:95
Tiranoc Chariot: 70
WL:13
SM:13
Lion Chariot:120
SW:14

Special:
BT:70!!!!!! (Up to 4)
Giant Eagle: 50
Phoenix: Fire 225, Ice240
Sisters of Avelorn: 14 (Don't know the name in English, i'm spanish)

Prince:140
Archmage:185
Asuryan Commander: 210
Loremaster:230
Korhil: 150
Caradryan:170
Noble:70
Mage: 85
Dragon Mage: 350
Lothern Hero: 100
Maiden: 95

High Elves: Brainstorm #1

Getting pretty excited man.

With High Elves rapidly approaching, I wanted to make a blog post every day until the book comes out this weekend.  These posts will hopefully capture your interest in the army and expand your mind along side mine.

Like I said before, I'm looking at 2 key playstyles with High Elves in their new book.  Those playstyles are the Dragon Lord and the Mage Lord.  To give an idea of the direction I want to go in, I'm going to post up some rough hypothetical army lists.

Dragon Lord
Prince on Star Dragon ~625
Lv.2 Mage, High Magic, Scroll ~160
Noble BSB, Dragon Prince ~175
11x Dragon Princes, Banner of World Dragon ~410
Core of Archers and Ellyrion Reavers ~625
2x Ice Phoenix ~480
2x Great Eagle ~100

Mage Lord
Lv.4 Archmage, High Magic, Book of Hoeth ~315
Lv.2 Loremaster, 2+ AS, Scroll ~250
Sea Helm BSB, 2+ AS, Luckstone ~150
30x Sea Guard, Eternal Flame ~625
+rest of core with Archers and/or Reavers
30x White Lions, BotWD ~470
5x Dragon Princes, Musician - 160
Ice Phoenix ~240
4x RBT ~280
2x Great Eagle ~100

Both of these lists are above the 2500 points window, but that's because I want to give you the best case scenario.  The prices I've listed are pretty ballpark, some we know like the 12pt LSG, the White Lions are rumored to be 13pts a piece, and I'm using a lot of the old values for our heroes/lords.  The Loremaster is complete guesswork, but to give you an idea, the current Prince is 150 points with full SoA benefits.

Alright, let me take you behind the scenes of these two lists and show you what I want to do.  I'll start with the Dragon Lord.  I'm sure as the week goes on and people all around the world gets their books, I'll be able to get a better picture on the points allotment and will adjust as we go.


The Dragon List

First thing's first, the Star Dragon scenario has changed a bit.  We no longer get SoA so we're no longer tooting around a Great Weapon all the time.  However, rumors point to the Star Lance (+3S, no AS) allowing you to use a Great Weapon after you've charged with the SL.  That's pretty cool.  With the current knowledge of the items available to us, I'm going to go with Star Lance, OTS, 4+ Ward.  Extra points will buy a GW most likely, otherwise I'm fine with just that.  The Star Dragon himself is now T7, so I'm really happy that they made that change.  If you guys remember what I hypothesized before, you'll know that they brought all the dragons up to Storm of Magic status.

Along side the valiant Prince and his Star Dragon rides the Dragon Princes of Caledor with the Banner of World Dragon.  I'm hoping for a points decrease on the DPs, but if that doesn't come, I'm fine with that too. The big thing here is the Banner of World Dragon for 50 points.  That means a unit like the Dragon Princes can carry it, as well as all of our Elite infantry (if things remain unchanged).  This gives them an edge over the Silver Helms and frankly, one of the only reasons to take the DPs over SHs.  With Martial Prowess giving full advantage the SHs, the DPs have a more defined role:  2+ ward vs. fire because of Fireborn, 6+ ward comes built into Dragon Armor, and the ability to wield one of the strongest banners in the game.  The current rumors gives the Banner of the World Dragon a 2+ Ward vs. all wounds caused by magic spells, weapons and attacks.  This is huge because it essentially allows our DPs to challenge walk through most lords/heroes and spells and not worry.  Unfortunately, the banner does not work vs. the likes of Dwellers or other unsavory characteristic tests.  No worries though, the Banner also gives all Dragons within 12" of it Stubborn.  There's just no chance a Ld.10 Prince is going anywhere with a BSB re-roll + Stubborn.

In front of the Dragon Princes are the key to this list; the beloved Ice Phoenix.  You can quote me on this when I say that the Ice Phoenix will single-handily change the meta.  It's to a point where 2x of them will see bans from multiple comps because of how good they are.  For 15 points more than Fire Phoenix, you get a crapton of stat improvements, including T6 and an extra Wound.  This is huge because it not only gives the Ice Phoenix durability, but when combined with its Blizzard Aura, it essentially makes the bird T7 in close combat.  The reason why I say the Ice Phoenix will change the meta is because Blizzard Aura gives units in BtB with it ASL and -1S.  The ASL part is huge because it negates the greatest strengths of some killy characters.  VC Blenderlords will suffer from this the most because they take a double whammy in -S and losing Quickblood bonuses.  ASL also gives our combo-charges more meaning; allowing our WS7 S7 I2 Dragon to strike first with its 6 attacks, and also allowing our Phoenix to bash in his attacks as well.  This combined with the threat range of a flyer makes the Phoenix ideal at supporting any charge in the game.  As if the ASL wasn't good enough, the -1S makes the Phoenix himself T7 in CC, the Star Dragon T8 and the Dragon Princes T4.  It's a pseudo-buffer that negates the primary weakness of High Elves:  Low Toughness. This combined with the fact that the Ice Phoenix still benefits from his natural 5+ AS and 5+ Ward, but depending on the role of the magic phase, he might become even better (or worse on 1-2).

The rest of the list is pretty explanatory.  I would like to try 2 things in this area:  Shooting heavy and mobility heavy.  I currently own 2x 5x Ellyrion Reavers, but I have a crap ton of archers.  Shooting, ideally, will compliment this list the most because it removes chaff that would otherwise hinder our combo-charges.  Ellyrion Reavers with Bows and Archers should be able to take care of this issue.  Otherwise, a unit of 30x LSG in 3x10 formation can put out an enormous amount of shots due to Martial Prowess to a point it can't be ignored.  The same could be said about 15x Archers in 5x3.  I can easily see most core elements composing of 3-4 Ellyrion Reavers and the rest being 10-15x Archers.  The idea is to present multiple drops to your opponents allow you to line up your more powerful elements (Eagles, DP, Phoenixes, Star Dragon, in that order) to his.

Lastly, we have the Lv.2 supporting Mage using High Magic.  Offensively with +3 to cast due to Blessing of Lileath, I plan on using him to dispel spells where needed, give back wounds via Apothesis, or buff up the WS of certain units into -1 hit range.  Both the Phoenix and Star Dragon is WS6+, so a few points in the right direction can bring them to WS9, the sweet spot for WS4 and under whereas even a single successful cast can put them out of hitting range of WS3 base troops.  Spells I would like to see are Apothesis and Hand of Glory for sure.

The Mage List

On the other side of the spectrum, we have a magic heavy and shooting heavy list in the form of the Mage Lord list.  Ideally, we are able to take the Lv.4 with High Magic and Lv.2 Loremaster in the same list.  The Loremaster can then double up with the Sea Helm to provide us with Noble-ish fighting prowess as well as having a good magic phase.  I chose High Magic for my Lv.4 because it gives us flexibility and coverage, and that fact I want to take advantage of Lileath's Blessing (+1 to cast for High Magic).  However, that's still up in the air because I can always look at more specific lores since the Loremaster himself gives us enough flexibility.  Shadow is always a good option, but then again so is Light.  If I want to take Light, I might look into a Lv.1 supporting Light Wizard just so he can carry the scroll while the rest of my guys do the serious work.  The main benefit of that is having a S6 Banishment; which vs. most armies is considered a must-dispel spell.

Now, let's take a look at the spell flexibility of the Loremaster:

Fireball - Pumpable MM.
Wyssan's Wildform - +1S/+1T augment, super good sig, good in EVERY situation.
Spirit of the Forge - That's right. Enough said.
Burning Gaze - Kills Ethereal, just another Fireball, but better vs. Undead.
Earth Blood - 5+ Regen, good every time minus flaming attacks.
Iceshard Blizzard - Hex, -1 to hit and Ld, low casting cost, super good every time.
Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma - Shadow sig, good every time.
Spirit Leech - We even get a snipe.

All the MMs and Forge are conditional, but solid spells.
Every augment is great, every hex is great.
In short, there are just no bad spells. And to have them all? Unlimited flexibility and spell supremacy. Most of these spells you can throw 2 dice at, every time, that's 8 spells that's being cast off a Lv.2.
And the best thing? Effects stack. -1 to hit from Iceshard with Pha's? Nerf his WS via Miasma + buff ours with High Magic. +1S/T combined with Ice Phoenix's ASL and -1S? Amazing.

The rest of the list should be pretty explanatory.  Fill in the rest with shooting elements and solid infantry blocks.  Depending on the points of the Phoenix Guard, I might bring them a long too.  A solid unit of LSG combined with RBT supporting fire will give the army a huge edge in the magic/shooting phase.  I've always viewed magic as an addition to shooting, and if the points cost of the units are cheaper than usual, I'll be bringing along even more bodies on the battlefield.

Let me know what you guys think.