Sunday, 28 July 2024

Warhammer Dark Elves 1.7 out now!

Patch notes:

  • Fixed bug with Supreme Sorceress missing Manticore option.
  • Fixed bug with Death Hag missing Cauldron of Blood option.
  • Show no Weakness: Each unsaved Wound caused by a Fleetmaster counts as two Wounds when calculating combat resolution. In addition, a Fleetmaster must always accept challenges. While fighting challenges, the Fleetmaster may re-roll all failed rolls To Hit.
  • Crossbows for Dark Riders cost 5 pts.
  • Shadowstalkers are Loners.
  • Melusai Ironscale is Large Infantry, have medium armour and natural armour 6+.
  • Hand of Khaine Gift: All enemy units in base contact suffer a -1 penalty to their Weapon Skill and Initiative.
  • Bloodwrack Shrine has Natural Armour (6+) and polearms.
  • Melusai have Hatred (High Elves) instead of Slaanesh.
  • Reduced the cost of some Hydra upgrades.
  • Shades may not take 2HW, standards or musician.
  • Shadowstalkers may replace throwing weapons with handbows.
  • Enchanting Beauty: All models suffer -1 To Hit against Morathi in close combat.
  • Fixed a multitude of smaller bugs.
  • Heartrender and the Darksword: Magic Weapon. Light lance. Hits from this weapon have the Killing Blow special rule in the turn Morathi charges. In addition, a Monstrous Creature, Monster or character that suffers one or more Hits reduces its Attacks, Strength and Toughness characteristics by one (to a minimum of 1) for each unsaved Wound for the remainder of the close combat phase.
  • Rending Stars are S5.
  • Removed Bloodbane Venom.
  • Removed Rune of Dhar.
  • A model with Manbane will always automatically Wound. Costs 15 pts.
  • Cry of War: All enemy units in base contact with the wearer suffer -1 To Hit in the first round of close combat. This has no effect on models with Immunity (Psychology). Costs 25 pts.
  • Black Lotus: Each unsaved Wound caused in Close Combat counts as two for the purpose of combat resolution. Costs 25 pts.
  • Khainite Pendant. The model may attempt to use two Blood Rites this turn. Costs 10 pts.
  • Executioner's Axe costs 45 pts.
  • Hydra Blade costs 20 pts.
  • Chillblade costs 50 pts.
  • Heartseeker costs 15 pts.
  • Shadracar's Fang costs 20 pts.
  • Draich of Dark Power costs 20 pts.
  • Dagger of Hotek costs 10 pts.
  • Lifetaker ignores all To Hit modifiers.
  • Shadesilver costs 20 pts.
  • Shade Claw: The wielder of this weapon gains the Ignores Armour saves special rule. In addition, no Parry saves may be taken against it. Costs 30 pts.
  • The model can choose to use the Web of Shadows in addition to their normal attacks.
  • Soulrender costs 15 pts.
  • Rubric of Dark Dimensions: The target models must pass a Strength test for each Wound on their profile or suffer a Wound which Ignores Armour Saves.
  • The wearer of the Cloak of Dark Souls gains the Hidden and Scouts special rule. Costs 10 pts.
  • Gem of Nightmares costs 5 pts.
  • Pearl of Infinite Bleakness: In addition, any enemy unit in base contact with the bearer suffer -1 to their Leadership. This has no effect on models with Immunity (Psychology). Cost 30 pts.
  • Armour of Living Death costs 35 pts. Does not have any additional penalty for being on a Cold One.
  • Cloak of Hag Graef costs 25 pts.
  • Whenever the bearer suffers a miscast, the Gem of Spite inflicts a single Strength 6 hit on every enemy Wizard within 18". Costs 15 pts.
  • Sacrificial Dagger works on a 2+.
  • Wand of the Kharaidon: When casting the Doombolt spell from the Lore of Dark Magic, you may re-roll the number of Hits caused. Cost 15 pts.
  • Black Staff: Whenever the bearer casts a spell, they may add an additional free power dice to the result after rolling the dice. However, if this extra dice rolls a 1, the Wizard suffers 1 Wound which Ignores Armour Saves.
  • In addition, each time the bearer of the Black Amulet makes a successful Ward save in close combat, the Black Amulet inflicts one Wound which Ignores Armour saves on the opponent that struck the blow.
  • Ring of Hotek has a 12" range.
  • The Crown of Black Iron gives the bearer a 5+ Ward save, +1 Leadership and the Magic Resistance (1) special rule. Costs 50 pts.
  • Soul Shadows Standard costs 10 pts.
  • Banner of Murder: The unit carrying this standard adds an additional D6" to their charge range. Costs 25 pts.
  • Standard of Har Ganeth costs 25 pts.
  • Beast Armour of Clar Karond: Magic Armour. Heavy armour. This armour allows Rakarth to re-roll failed armour saves.
  • Crone Hellebron costs 280 pts.
  • Kouran Darkhand costs 140 pts.
  • Removed Daring Leap.
  • Murderous Swashbuckler: If Lokhir makes a successful Parry save, he may immediately make an additional Attack back against the model that struck the blow.
  • Crimson Shard costs 10 pts.
  • Crystal of Midnight: Nominate another enemy Wizard within 12" at the start of any Dark Elves turn. The Wizard must pass a Leadership test on 3D6 or lose one randomly determined spell for the rest of the battle. Costs 20 pts. Is no longer one use only.
  • Manbane, Black Lotus and Dark Venom are Khainite Assassin only.
  • The wearer of the Cloak of Twilight has a Ward save (2+) against Wounds caused by enemy shooting attacks and spells. Model on foot only. Costs 15 pts. Is a Talisman.
  • Corsairs and Sisters of Slaughter pay 1 pt for Skirmish upgrade.

Monday, 15 July 2024

Warhammer Dark Elves 1.7 (beta) out now!

This ended up both a quicker and larger update than I had planned! While it is light on new units, it does contain quite a bit of changes to the existing rules. The biggest one is arguably the change to the repeater crossbow - in editions past it's main advantage was that it could outshoot nearly every other weapon in terms of shots, but with regular bows also having that ability now, it's looking a lot less special. In order to separate it from regular bows a bit more, make it consistent with other similar repeater weapons and really get the "fill the sky with a rain of bolts" feel; I've changed it accordingly. It now fires 3 shots instead of 2 and also do not suffer -1 to Hit for doing so, meaning it will now score a lot more hits than before. In order to balance this out, it's reduced to Strength 2 (which fits with it shooting smaller bolts quickly compared to a bow or normal crossbow) and is no longer armour piercing. On the whole, it will be on par with the old version in terms of damage output, except that it is slightly better against Toughness 3 and low armour, and slightly worse against Toughness 4 and heavier armour. If you choose to move and shoot, it's better in almost every way compared to the old crossbow.

Most of the other changes are fairly minor, but should help out to better balance the various units in the army. Hope you enjoy most of the changes, and as always, many thanks to my Patreon supporters!

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Patch notes:

  • Elven Grace can be used by mounted models. Increased the cost of cavalry.
  • Eternal Hatred: Models with this special rule have the Hatred special rule in addition to Hatred (High Elves).
  • Repeater Crossbows renamed to Deathrain Crosssbows. Have S2, Multiple Shots (3), Rapid Fire. Are no longer armour piercing.
  • Repeater handbows have S2, Multiple Shots (3), Rapid Fire.
  • Added 6 new spells to Dark Magic, and rebalanced the old ones.
  • Added over a dozen new Magic Items and Gifts of Khaine.
  • Dreadlords and Masters have light armour by default.
  • Hag Queens and Death Hags have hand weapon by default, can choose additional hand weapon or polearm.
  • Sorceresses may use all Winds of Magic.
  • Beastmasters may take light armour.
  • Disciples of Khaine may take Gifts of Khaine. Have Blessing of Khaine special rule. Cost 100 pts.
  • Blood Rites require Ld tests, are not bound spells. Reworked the effects of all Blood Rites.
  • Assassins and Melusai Ironscale may take Magic Items.
  • High Gladiatrix may take bucklers instead of shields. May take polearm. Have Killing Blow instead of Killing Stroke. Costs 145 pts.
  • Manticore's Iron-hard skin gives a 5+ save.
  • Removed City Guard.
  • Repeater handbows costs 2 pts for Corsairs.
  • Corsairs have Slavers: Whenever a unit containing at least 5 models with this special rule breaks an enemy unit in close combat and pursues them, the fleeing unit must re-roll the highest result on their flee roll.
  • Dark Riders: Decreased cost of shields. Increased cost of crossbows.
  • Decreased cost of light armour for Witch Elves.
  • Sister of Slaughters have bucklers, not shields.
  • Dance of Death: Models with this special rule have the Dodge (5+) special rule in close combat and can re-roll failed Dodge saves. In addition, at the start of each round of close combat, each unit with this special rule chooses one enemy unit in base contact. That unit gains no Rank Bonus and cannot make Parry saves this turn.
  • The Trial of Blades: Models with this rule receive +1 To Hit and To Wound if at least one enemy model in base contact with the unit has a Weapon Skill characteristic of 5+ and/or a Strength characteristic of 4+.
  • Executioners costs 15 pts.
  • Shades may take a Magic Standard. Cannot take great weapons.
  • Khinerai have Fight and Flight: In any close combat phase in which a unit with this special rule does not break or break their enemy, it may choose to disengage from combat instead of doing a combat reform (if the unit lost the combat they must pass a Leadership test just like when attempting to Reform from Defeat). If the unit manages to disengage from combat, the unit will make a Flee move as if it had broken from combat. This Flee move follows the rules for Feigned Flight. After finishing its move, the unit rallies automatically. The enemy unit is not allowed to Pursue, but may make a Combat Reform as normal.
  • If a Monstrous Creature or Monster is Hit by this weapon but survives, it must immediately turn and move D6" towards the Scourgerunner Chariot, stopping within 1" of other units or impassable terrain. In its following turn, the target may choose to either suffer 1 Wound with no saves allowed or be forced to keep moving D6" towards the Scourgerunner Chariot instead of moving normally.
  • Melusai have Heartshard Glaives: Polearm. All attacks made with this weapon have the Magical Attacks and Killing Blow special rules.
  • Melusai have medium armour by default. Can replace Heartshard Glaives with light armour and Heartseeker bows for +2 pts. Have Natural Armour (6+), Vanguard, BS5, S3. Costs 28 pts.
  • Khinerai have normal shields, costs 15 pts.
  • Medusa have Natural Armour (6+). Have a polearm instead of spear. Costs 60 pts. Stare has Multiple Shots (5).
  • Black Guard may take a Magic Standard up to 75 pts.
  • New Rare Unit: Shadowstalkers
  • Bloodwrack Shrine costs 140 pts. Aura of Agony: Enemy units within 6" suffer a -2 penalty to their Weapon Skill and Initiative and Leadership.
  • A unit of Doomfire Warlocks is a Level 1 Wizard that can use spells from the Lore of Shadow, Death or Dark Magic.
  • Doomfire Warlocks barding is free. Have a regular 4+ ward.
  • Added multiple upgrades to the War Hydra.
  • Kharibdyss has the Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule.
  • Feast of Bones: Roll a D6 for each unsaved Wound caused by this model. On the roll of a 6+, the Kharibdyss regains 1 Wound lost previously during the game.
  • Avatar of Khaine have a 5+ Ward save. Costs 250 points.
  • Idol of Worship: All friendly Dark Elves within 12" of an Avatar of Khaine gain +1 Leadership.
  • Malekith costs 495 pts.
  • Crone Hellebron has light armour.
  • Rakarth is a Lord choice, costs 445 pts.
  • Lokhir Fellheart has Regeneration (6+), costs 150 pts.
  • New Special Character: Krethusa the Croneseer
  • New Special Character: Mengil Manhide