21:03 Ok can I just say that the reload animation for Darkshards is fucking awesome. They reload their crossbows one handed like badasses. It's like when you see people reload pump shotguns with one arm.
A few things, 1. Morathi can reduce MA of surrounding enemy units by 18 with her 2 unique abilities. 2. Death Hag on blood cauldron gives a aura called "Bloodshield of Khaine" that gives 12% physical resist. 3. War hydra has another unique ability that gives it a huge burst of healing when it drops below 50% health. 4. All repeater crossbow units actually fire two projectiles in each shot, which means they will beat most other ranged units in a head to head engagement.
I'm a bit late to Zerkovich's videos, but the nice thing with Morathi is that as far as I can tell, she has so many strong winds of magic replenish buffs she can cast spells more or less continuously.
Also morathi while casting gains speed putting her around 120+speed she's so fast during and right after casting she's like a dive bomber plane to make matters worse she lowers map wide armor during casting this things combined with her 125(?) Charge bonus is devastating. she can kill any other flying unit without ever taking a hit back by just chaining her speed buffs also with such speed archers are lucky enough to get a shot once most peoples mistake is using fancy magic but debuffs have immense range advantage over any range troops and lower winds of magic cost means longer times under speed buff.
Yes! Yes! Queek seek-find Dark Elf-things weaknesses and use *snort* correct minions to slay-slay! Man-thing Zerkovich makes best guide-guides! Queek make all paw leaders watch and learn-learn to make *snort* better minions and kill-kill enemies before marking with musk! Queek like elf flesh yes-yes! Not chewy like lizard-things! More flavour than skaven slaves! But Dwarf-things *snorts* best-best! Dwarf-things beards make for good napkins too-too!
The War Hydra would be absolutely terrifying if used as a shock cavalry. With the ability to regenerate, it would be healing back up every time it pulled back, able to remain in the fight for much longer than any other comparable unit.
Yep my great sword shades were mvp of most of my battles in campaign. Though turn skirmisher mode off on them usually, running away wastes there dps and unlike most ranged they melee quite well and open opportunity for your other melee units to flank.
Genghis Khan680 Who? I tried Morathi twice, on hard then on normal, and got shut down both times early on. Just had basic armies of dreadspears, darkshards, and bleakswords mostly. I can't keep up with wars on all sides. Tiranoc/Skaven to the east, Mazdamundi to the south, and Exhiles of Nehekarik to the west.
Hey Zerkovich, I just tried out your build and changed it up just a bit, I got a manticore instead of the elite cav unit, and I had malekith on foot with just bladewind and chillwind, and I came up against the high elves and destroyed them, the guy had too much of an elite army with a star dragon sword masters and phoneix guard, but my flanking power was just too much, so thanks for all the advices and help
I really like the War Hydra because they got the massive heal burst when on low health. You can pretty much guarantee by the time it was killed, it already max out the regen cap.
This is probably one of best guides ever made for a videogame. This guy explains every detail for every single unit or lord/ hero. Plus the strategy for every race.
Great guide as always! Gave me some appreciation for units I underused and ideas to mix up my rather boring builds. Really appreciate the three different army builds at the end and the info about flanking.
Woot, finally! As always thanks for these man. Glad to have you back. Also maybe important to note that the ranged dark riders have a firing arc and can only fire to the front making effective kiting impossible in MP.
As I understand, Dark Elves have more leadership but less HP. I think the trade off is worth it since you more often than not want units that run less often but die easier compared to units that live longer but run more easily.
+Zerkovich Know this is an old video but at 17:35 and a few sec forward you can see one of the enemy troops switching from the middle spear troop to the top Black Arc's. That's why they broke faster.
The rightful Phoenix King. A dozen or so pretenders have died while he kept up his claim. Some of them even took their own lives due to the guilt of denying Malekith his crown.
Really enjoyed this. For lords and heroes though a discussion of mounts/mounted would have been helpful too. Great overview and tactics ideas though. Gave me a good feel for a DE run.
17:40 - when your demonstrating that cosairs are not front line, the cosairs had 3 units on swordsmen on them not 2, one of the units from the spears had caught onto them instead. you can tell by the way they run after they all retreat..give it another look
Most of the 2nd unit of each one aren't even fighting. I could put 10 units in front of the Corsairs and still only 1 unit will really be fighting. The 2nd unit is just their to stop my units winning. Like I said, it wasn't meant to be the fairest test anyway. You can try it in clean one on one's if you like. Black Ark Corsairs can of course beat Empire Swordsman. But they'll lose most of their health in the process. Drop in a quick monster charge or a spell though and they're off. You just can't rely on Corsairs to hold a line. And as they have 40 speed. They're far more effective on the flank in my opinion.
They are my absolute favorites too, lol It was surprising for me when I looked around the mod workshop and some videos here and there, even the high/wood elves seems to be more popular than the edgelords, such a shame
You testing 3 types frontline units, but in 17:29 corsairs were attacked by one more knights and they're flanked, I don't think so that was a reliable test ;)
@Zerkovich I do agree with you that corsairs suck as a frontline unit but if you look around 17:30 there was a healthy unit that disengaged with the dread spears and decided to flank the corsairs so that test is not the best example.
Love the video, one thing I didn't like, and you mentioned on it, is your test for corsairs isn't fair. at 17:30, you can see a unit from enemy switch from your spears, attack corsairs from side/behind. So they are facing three units. Also not to mention, you have a hero stationed by the other two units that most likely has a leadership aura. I have no preference, because I have only started playing with dark elves campaign, just didn't seem fair.
Upon starting a Dark Elf campaign I immediately sailed into Bretonnian territory and started afresh over there. Man, I cannot keep up with Bretonnian cavalry... Dreadspears are just spreading their cheeks and taking it
The new Medusa unit is a staple of my Dark elf armies, I always go in with at least three. Had a fight where I had five of them and an army of some cold ones, spear men, sword men and a war hydra, got attacked by two full high elf armies of nothing but archers and Calvary and won the fight because of positioning and the just total wreckage that the Medusa’s cause. They are amazing ranged and close up.
Thank you! I’ve been wondering how to change from my 6 darkshard & static line army in the campaign but have been having trouble with heavy losses on the front line due to artillery. Will try your build next as a baseline
nice hearing/seeing something new from you :) in my tabletop group we had names for those mages that you buy cheap to get acess to a small but very certain number of spells or acrane items: loosely translated in english and from TT to TWW: spell-biatches. originaly: klo-rollen-träger, porta potti, wasserträger, meister propper, briefträger oder platzhalter if someone knows a more fitting and less sexist translation please do tell, since i dont :)
Should have probably mentioned that the Dark Elves (and the High Elves too) lack artillery options. The Reaper Bolt Thrower is nothing to write home about, especially compared to other Artillery-heavy factions. Otherwise, good guide. Waiting for the next one :).
It's too bad that you cannot make some sort of parallel section about the campaign and how the researches, traits and other bonuses can affect the units presented to such an extend where you cannot recognize them anymore. For example, given the adequate circumstances, the _"Dark Raiders"_ can litteraly become a light cavalry nearly on par with heavy ones, while the _"Shades"_ can increase their range and missile damage to turn even Waywatchers green(ier) with envy.
Let's be fair, the campaign buffs just blows things out of proportion, lol just look at tyrion for example, with all legendary items and fully leveled up, he has 900+ weapon strength, faster lord in the game, magic attacks/resistance, etc.. There's no concept of "balance", you just bring him and a life mage and start a rampage.
There has been new units across board with new releases. Like e.g. Doomfire Warlocks, Kharybdis and Sisters of Slaughter for Dark Elves. I'd really wish new army guides were made that explains these units. Are you up to task?
25:18 “All she wrote” - have you been watching a lot of Turin, perchance? :P Great guide, by the way! Some new info and ideas for me, and I love the structure.
Shades should be recruited as soon as you can get ahold of them. Vanguard deployment and stalk can help you mitigate the High Elves superior range. Plus the Shades can eventually be buffed to extend their range.
My one thing. You tested out which unit would break first. Corsairs, Bleakswords, and dreadspears. But if anyone actually payed attention you sent some of one of your units to hit the corsairs in the flank. Resulting in moral penalties. Meaning that they stayed in the fight as long as bleakswords and dreadspears even with a moral penalty and getting hit in the flank by enemy units. They lack the defence to range but I know from playing the game that they can hold long and well against infantry alone. Especially considering their cost to how effective they are. You would want to avoid letting archers see them but if you play against maybe vampire counts or an army with low archer fire then they are more than capable of being a front line unit.
Fire sorc with dark sorc for debuffs, buffs and bloody aoe. I heard people say hoeth swords are better than executioners but seeing both guide it shows that executioners have 10 more weapon strength.
Combining monster play is really good that 9k hydra(think its 7k now) is for soaking first volley if you get them to fire then they won't be able to fire on the manticores/dragond once manticores/dragond are into his backline rest is barbaric charge and flank. comparatively to high elf artillery I think reaper bolth throwers has an extra artillery making it absurdly strong and I really think that any other range units on darkelf roster pales in comparison to the reaper bolt throwers. Morathi in campaign imo is stronger than malekith where malekith takes time to destroy morathi just obliterates with debuff and repeated charge (her charge bonus is insane).
