Many thousands of years ago the Elven Kingdom
erupted in Civil War. Forsaking the old Elven gods and
seeking out the powers of dark sorcery, the Dark Elves, as
the renegades came to be called, were ultimately driven off
the island of Ulthuan.
Settling in bitter exile, the Dark Elves have established their own kingdom in the bleak area known as Naggaroth, the Land of Chill. Over the passing millennia, the Dark Elves have grown even more twisted, and now they are the complete opposites of their altruistic brethren, the High Elves. Physically, Dark Elves are lithe and sinuous like other Elves, although the harsh wilderness of the Land of Chill has caused the Dark Elves to become somewhat more pallid.
THE DARK ELVEN ARMY
Dark Elf raiding parties can be found prowling off the coasts of the Warhammer World, spreading terror and continuing their constant search for living captives. While the Dark Elf race is not prolific in terms of population, every Dark Elf citizen, male or female, is trained in the art of sword, spear, and their trademark, the repeater crossbow. The mighty floating citadels, the Black Arks, can appear off the coast anytime, launching bloody attacks where they are least expected.
Guile and cunning are the hallmarks of the Dark Elven Army, as is reflected in the type of troops that can be rallied to the battle standards found in a Dark Elven war host.
A WARRIOR RACE
All Dark Elves are cruel, fierce fighters, and the standard Dark Elf Warrior is no exception. A Dark Elf player can select from a number of options for arming his basic troops, including spears, swords, and the missile weapon that best characterizes their vicious race, the repeater crossbow. A vile weapon, the repeater crossbow can fire a single shot, or a hail of small barbed arrows. With the grace, eyesight, and skill shown by all Elves, the Dark Elves make evil use of their repeaters, mowing down whole ranks of the enemy at a time.
THE FIGHTING ELITE
In the harsh lands of Naggaroth, the Dark Elves have been forced to evolve whole new and deadly fighting skills. From the city of Har Ganeth come the Executioners - trained experts with the axe, able to cleave an enemy in two with a single stroke. The personal bodyguard of the Witch King himself are the Black Guard of Naggaroth - heavily armored troops with fighting skills trained to a razor's edge. Issuing forth from their city-sized ships are the Black Ark Corsairs - ruthless pirates who fight with a weapon in each fist. To make matters worse, the Corsairs are protected by the almost impenetrable cloaks made from sea monsters' scales.
TERROR TROOPS
Whether plundering the Warhammer World for captives, or mounting a raid back into the hated island of Ulthuan, Dark Elf Armies rely on speed and stealth. This is where the Dark Elf Scouts, Dark Riders, and Assassins come into play.
To reflect their mastery of ambush and concealment, the Dark Elf Scouts are allowed to set up using special infiltration rules. Invariably this allows a Dark Elf player to place the Scouts where they can best harry the enemy. The Dark Riders are the heralds of the black forces of Naggaroth, and are used to range ahead and slow down the oncoming foe. The Assassins are not a troop type, but rather individual characters that can be hidden in any Dark Elf infantry unit. When faced with an enemy character (preferably the General or vulnerable wizard!), the Assassin casts off his disguise and leaps into the fray with deadly poisonous swords. Woe to the unwary!
UNLEASH THE HOUNDS
Even the
most patient and cunning Dark Elf General can only play the
harry and sniping attack for so long, before signalling for
the final hammering deathblow. For sure the two most capable
units in the Dark Elf army at delivering such a knock out
blow are the Cold One Knights and the Witch Elves.
Cold Ones are ancient reptiles that the Dark Elves found and trained in the bleak new surroundings of Naggaroth. The black-hearted champions that ride atop the Cold Ones are deadly opponents in their own rights, but when you add the brute strength and mobility of their speedy reptile steeds, you have a frightening combination that will keep other Warhammer Generals shaking in their boots.
For sheer cruelty and shock troop value, it is nearly impossible to top the Witch Elves. As we said, all Dark Elves, male and female, are adept warriors. The Witch Elves are female, but also the wildest and most bloodthirsty of all the Dark Elves. Wielding poisoned blades in each hand, the Witch Elves whip themselves into an orgy of destruction, and we won't even begin to tell you about their gruesome post battle ceremonies and sacrifices. These frenzied warriors can cleave and dice through any enemy!
GET SOME REVENGE
If you are interested in learning more about the
Dark Elves or fielding an army from the black lands of
Naggaroth, then your first step should be obtaining the
Warhammer Armies Dark Elf book. This essential book
elaborates on the background and history of the Dark Elves,
as well as supplying the complete army list and special rules
for the race.
Of course the army book has all the rules for troops mentioned here, and even some we didn't (like Harpies and City Guard), monsters (the War Hydra), Dark Sorcerers, and even special characters from the long and sordid Dark Elven history.
Remember, Dark Elves show no mercy - now get out there and punish some opponents!