Posted 17 September 2013 - 08:33 AM

Hello King Bazak,

Firstly, I'd be curious to ask whether this list is set in stone, or whether you can be flexible with it at all. There are a lot of things's I'd recommend from the several games against High Elves I've had, but they require altering the list to some degree.

One thing to mention is that it is illegal for your BSB to have runes of Spellbreaking - these are rune smiths/lords only - you have to change them for something, and if I were you I'd give him MRoGromril and RoResistance for starters (RoPReservation, my normal 3rd rune for the BSB doesn't have much use against HElves).

Assuming you cannot change your list, and counting out any terrain features (grab walls/hills if you can, etc.) the obvious things are to put an organ gun on the extreme ends of your line to blat eagles/reavers coming around. You might find it difficult to set up favourable combats as the elves are so much more manoeuvrable.

I'm glad to see the rangers - I always use them. In terms of how to use them, a lot depends on what your foe does - I often end up deploying them in/near my own deployment zone, but that flexibility is still always worth it. Obvious places to put them are behind walls in front of smaller units of cavalry - either the cavalry charge them in a strong position, or they have to go round. In terms of whether to deploy wide or deep, like so much, it depends - I often end up deploying wide, getting off one volley, and then re-forming. Their shooting isn't all that deadly - even in optimal conditions they won't kill much (14 shots, about 7 hits, about 5 wounds, around 4 kills). This might be enough to see off small units of reavers or kill an eagle - you'll have to see what the targets are like. Mine always end up in combat, and generally end up doing a lot more there than shooting (i.e. they might make 1-2 volleys and a charge reaction, and then be in combat for most of the rest of the game). Ordinarily, I'd recommend going wide, then re-forming on turn 2 or so, or if in doubt, always go deep. However, as your unit is quite small, I'd probably just go 2 deep and hope for the best - there aren't enough of them to gain steadfast reliably, so the benefits of deep formation won't come to much.

I'm sorry this isn't all that helpful as it stands, but if you can change the list a bit I'd recommend the following:

- Most pressingly, bulk up your units. I know this means you will have even fewer units, but you are going to be outmanoeuvred anyway, and units of 30+ have a much better chance of being steadfast and surviving the initial charge, as well as just smashing anything that charges them - provided you get enough attacks back S5 attacks can really mess with high elves, but you need the extra attacks (and steadfast too). Remember, a silver helm who does not charge has all the fighting potential of an archer (OK he he has better armour and a horse, but still only WS4, S3 attacks). If you can survive the charge, they aren't dangerous.

- Go for the characters! In my last game against high elves I made the mistake of going after the R&F silver helms, not the characters in the cavalry bus unit - big mistake! A silver helm who doesn't charge is hopeless, and a character is only slightly harder to hurt generally (still only T3, the same 2+ save, OK, he'll have a ward or some such, but only a bit harder to hurt). A stalled high elf cavalry bus depends on the heroes to fight - try to kill them!

- The MRoChallenge is really helpful - you can force the enemy to charge the block you want (probably hammerers). An invaluable rune!

- Though this is getting a habit of mine, I'd make a shout for bolt throwers, if possible - they are very good against elves, and cavalry heavy elves above all. A bolt thrower with an engineer is only 60 points, and only has to kill 2 knights to pay for itself. One hit will generally do this. They have a good chance of surviving a charge of chaff troops (and the engineer can always challenge single hero models to tie the enemy up more).

- A grugde thrower with a rune of accuracy and 2 runes of penetration would help no end - in my last game against High Elves (3000 points, which I narrowly lost) this only got 4 shots in the game (the 4th missed) and killed 14 archers (in a unit of 16), a tyranoc chariot and over 20 spearmen (in a unit of 50). Before the daft dragon banner came in, killing around 15 sword masters a turn reliably was a very fond memory (my elven opponent builds his list around either a sword master deathstar or a silver helm character bus death star - the dragon banner has hampered my obvious counter somewhat). Personally, I think a GT would be a better choice against high elves than a cannon, if you can only have one of them. It has an excellent chance of just wrecking a unit with one shot (provided that unit doesn't have the dragon banner, of course).

Anyway, there are any number of other things to say, and I'm not all that experienced anyway. There are plenty of things to tweak re. runes etc.

Best of luck, and I'm happy to help out more if I can,

David.

Edited by Lord Alisk, 17 September 2013 - 08:44 AM.