High Elves

The Elven Kingdoms are the most ancient and cultured of all the world’s realms aside from those of the cold-blooded Lizardmen races. Long before the crude townships of men took shape the Elves were building glittering cities in the island- continent of Ulthuan. Soon more cities arose in their colonies throughout the world. After millennia of habitation many of these cities still exist. They are graced by fantastical towers, sweeping arches, and a thousand other wonders undreamed of by mankind. Within soaring spires the High Elves pursue their age-long studies of art, sorcery and the world both natural and otherwise.

The Elven mind is not only keen but is matched by a near perfect physique and extraordinary longevity. Elves resemble men but are taller and more elegantly proportioned with long athletic limbs. They have lean, intelligent and handsome faces with delicately pointed ears and entrancing almond shaped eyes. It has been said that their swift precise movements make the most graceful human seem oafish in comparison. These qualities make them dangerous warriors as well as unparalleled craftsmen and sorcerers.

Elves are not warlike by nature as are, for example, Orcs and even Dwarfs and men to some extent. However they are proud -some say arrogant - and ultimately confident in their purpose. Thousands of years ago the Elves and Dwarfs fought a long and bitter war over possession of the Old World - a war fuelled by pride and suspicion on both sides.

This war weakened the two races to such an extent that both were nearly destroyed as a result. Much of the Dwarf realm was subsequently overrun by greenskins, the Elves were driven from their cities in the Old World, and the Elven homelands were plunged into the devastating civil war known as The Sundering. Elves and Dwarfs have never forgotten that war and it remains a source of recrimination and antagonism between them to this day.

Although their strength is less than it once was the Elven Kingdoms constitute the greatest bastion against Chaos in the world. Millennia ago - when the Age of Chaos began - the most adept of the High Elf Mages constructed a gigantic vortex of power at the centre of the island-continent of Ulthuan at the heart of the Elven Kingdoms. The purpose of this vortex was to draw magical energy out of the world, which was at that time overrun with daemons and other wholly sorcerous creatures. By means of a system of magical standing stones arranged around the circular island like a spider‘s web, the power of Chaos was gradually drawn away and stability restored. The Daemon armies were destroyed or banished back to the Realms of Chaos from which they had come. This is a burden that the High Elves carry to this day. Were Ulthuan and its vortex to fall the world would be quickly consumed in magic and mortal creatures would cease to exist - at least in any form recognisable as such.

The Elven Kingdoms remain eternally alert to the threat of Chaos. They are the undisputed masters of the seas and have fortresses situated all over the globe at strategic positions. There they wait and watch the lights of magic playing upon the northern skies, and prepare for the next battle against the forces of Chaos. However, their numbers are fewer now than ever, and the burden of defence grows ever more heavy. For this reason the Elves regard the human realms as vital to the eternal battle against Chaos, for if the human realms fell it would be only a question of time before Ulthuan itself would be overwhelmed by the tides of Chaos.

High Elf army selector

Troop	Type	Attacks	Hits	Armour	Command	Unit size	Points per unit	Min/max	Special
Spearmen	Infantry	3	3	5+	-	3	60	2/-	-
Archers	Infantry	3/1	3	6+	-	3	75	1/-	*1
Silver Helms	Cavalry	3	3	4+	-	3	110	-/-	-
Reavers	Cavalry	3/1	3	6+	-	3	90	-/3	-
Chariots	Chariot	3	3	5+	-	3	95	-/3	-
Giant Eagles	Monster	2	3	6+	-	3	70	-/1	*2
Dragon Rider	Monster	6/3	6	4+	-	1	270	-/1	*3
Elven Bolt Thrower	Artillery	1/3	2	-	-	2	55	-/1	*4

General	General	+2	-	-	10	1	180	1	-
Hero	Hero	+1	-	-	8	1	80	-/1	-
Wizard	Wizard	+0	-	-	8	1	90	-/1	*5
Giant Eagle	Monstrous Mount	+2	-	-	-	-	+20	-/1	*6
Dragon	Monstrous Mount	+3/+3	-	-	-	-	+100	-/1	*3
Chariot	Chariot Mount	+1	-	-	-	-	+10	-/1	*7

Special rules

1. Archers: High Elf archers add +1 to their dice roll when making Shooting attacks. They will therefore score a hit against targets in the open on a 3 or more, against targets that are defended on a 4 or more, and against fortified targets on a 5 or more.
2. Giant Eagles: Giant Eagles can fly.
3. Dragons: Dragons can fly. Dragon rider units and any other units that include a Dragon riding character cause terror in their enemies.

Because Dragon Riders have a great many hits (6) which are difficult to inflict even during a lengthy combat engagement, we must consider the possibility of hurting the Dragon and reducing its effectiveness in subsequent turns. Therefore, if a Dragon Rider has accumulated 4-5 hits by the end of the Shooting phase or Combat phase and is no longer engaged in combat it is deemed to have been badly hurt. Once a Dragon has been badly hurt all accumulated hits are discounted and its maximum hits value and Attacks are halved for the rest of the battle (to 3 Hits and 3/2 Attacks).

Generals, Wizards and Heroes can ride Dragons. A Dragon can fly increasing its rider‘s move from 60 to 100cm. An extra +3 Attacks are added to those of its rider. A Dragon can breathe fire if the character has joined a unit that isn‘t engaged in combat. A Dragon ridden by a character can‘t breathe fire if it is not part of a unit.

Dragons can make a fiery breath. This applies both to a unit of Dragon Riders and to Dragons ridden by characters that have joined a unit of troops. Fire Breath works as follows. The fire breath has a range of 20cm. Breath can be directed against one target as for normal shooting and has 3 Attacks that are worked out in the usual way at 4+ to hit.
4. Elven Bolt Thrower: Rules for the Elven Bolt Thrower are described in the Artillery and Machines section in the Rulebook.
5. Wizard: High Elf Mages are especially powerful wizards and to represent this can re-roll a failed spell on any dice result except a 1. If a spell is failed because a 1 is rolled then no re-roll is permitted.
6. Giant Eagle Mount: Generals, Wizards and Heroes can ride a Giant Eagle. An Eagle can fly increasing its rider‘s move from 60 to 100cm. An extra +2 Attacks are added to those of its rider.
7. Chariot Mount: Generals, Wizards and Heroes can ride Chariots. An extra +1 Attack is added to those of its rider.

High Elf spells

Storm of Stone

6+ to cast Range 30cm

The ground erupts around the Mage, and a hail of stones, rocks and dirt hurls itself upon his foes.

This spell affects every enemy unit within range.

Every enemy unit within range takes 3 Attacks worked out in the normal way. Unengaged units are not driven back by the Storm of Stone (the assault comes from the ground beneath their feet). Engaged units carry over any hits scored into the first round of combat; any hits scored count as having been struck in the combat itself.

Light of Battle

5+ to cast Range 30cm

A radiant light shines forth upon the Mage‘s companions filling them with magical vigour.

This spell affects every friendly unit within range.

The spell lasts for the duration of the following Combat phase. Every unit and every character that has joined a unit gains a bonus +1 attack. These attacks can be allocated to any stand in the unit and can be allocated to a different stand in each combat round.

Heaven’s Fire

4+ to cast Range 30cm

The mage imbues the Elven archers with an unearthly swiftness enabling them to rain death upon the enemy.

This spell can be cast upon a friendly unit of unengaged missile armed infantry or cavalry within range. It cannot be cast on artillery. The Mage does not need to be able to see the friendly unit nor their intended target.

When the Heaven‘s Fire spell is cast on a unit, it can shoot twice that turn instead of once. If it has already shot that turn it can therefore shoot again immediately. If it has yet to shoot it can shoot twice. When a unit shoots twice due to Heaven‘s Fire the second shot is always at a -1 penalty to hit.

Hail of Destruction

5+ to cast Range 30cm

A hail of fiery arrows flies from the Mage‘s outstretched finger tips and strikes an enemy unit.

This spell can be cast on an enemy unit. The Mage must be able to see his target to use this spell. The spell cannot be directed at a unit engaged in combat.

The Hail of Destruction is treated like three ordinary shooting attacks (4+ to hit) except that armour has no effect (all targets count as having no armour). A unit can be driven back by a Hail of Destruction as with ordinary shooting.