Lion Chariot
Lion. Chariot. It’s a chariot being pulled by lions. Like the Dragon Mage it’s a new unit and very much an attempt to kill off the slightly wussy image the High Elves have. This is a chariot manned by guys with big axes and lions at the front. NOT WUSSY!
Archmage
Even though the High elves are marketed as “the most magical race” their High Magic does at times seem pretty bland. Compared to the colorful wizards of the Empire, evil sorceresses in audacious outfits and levitating giant toads a guy in a robe with a staff is not really that much of a hoot. I do, however, appreciate the defensive capabilities of the elf mages.
Dragon Mage
The Dragon Mage is a new and exciting feature for the High Elves. Even though it deals with two of the most iconic elements of the High Elves (Dragons and mages) it is also a unit that includes a bit of randomness, risk and wild fury. The Asur have always been the most disciplined, stoic and reliable of warriors. You can always rely on your units to do what you want them to and their high leadership and stats in genreal means they will do it well. This, of course, can get a bit boring in the long run and that is why I welcome the Dragon Mage with open arms (I have not yet actually tried out the unit in a battle mind you). A psychotic mage riding a furious giant lizard is just what the elves need to spice things up a bit.
Carry The Flag!
This is my Elf Noble mounted on a Tiranoc Chariot, proudly sporting the army banner. Besides being an awesome miniature it’s also a unit that packs some serious punch.
I’ve always liked chariot units. They are fast, agile (as long as you stay clear of difficult terrain), somewhat durable and they rely heavily on delivering a devastating blow to the enemy that will have them flee from combat on the first turn. Favoring an army whose main strike force is cavalry this is a nice way for me to get the army banner up there and into the battle. As elves are expensive to field you just can’t afford to let a hero like this sit back with the banner safely out of the enemys reach. If that is your strategy you might as well not include an army banner in the first place.
Depending on the situation I like to keep the banner close to my cavalry, let them engage the enemy first and then drive into the enemy flank causing impact hits and adding to the combat resolution (you can always use that extra point). Let’s not ignore the fact that an elf noble is quite capable of chopping up a few enemies himself. The combined charge of the cavalry and chariot is a difficult thing to withstand and given the elves superior mobility also hard to avoid.
If the enemy has a lot of regiments made up of cheap fooder I sometimes opt to make the banner the centre of a chariot strike force. The other Tiranoc Chariot in my army and the Lion Chariot combined have caused a wave of panic in a horde army more than once as they slice through unit after unit. Having your chosen champion carry the flag through bloody ruin in a bold and daring frontal assault is the stuff of legends.
