Dark Elves?

[Valandil]

Given that the lst time I did one of these threads, the community got an excellent Chaos Hordes mod (thanks, panpiper,) this is a thread about a mod creating the warhammer dark elves in dominions. I don't have time to post stats, etc. right now, but here are some graphics ideas.


edit: The dark ones are finished. The others still ave some light bits on them- those ones wer photos of minis, the finished ones are more... original. (don't ask.)

[llamabeast]

Nice. Are they photos of actual miniatures, resized?

[Kristoffer O]

Nice. Soon I can kick JK's Lizards army and JO's Skavens in dom3 as well

[Sombre]

Yep.

[Valandil]

Yes, they are just miniatures that were recoloured/sized. I usually draw by hand, but, well... Last time I tried that (albeit for a HUGE mod), I sort of got tired...

The corsair needs to be reposed, 'cause he's doing that crazy "stare wildly into the omniscient deity's face as ha watches the battle" thing.

Now, for the actual mod:

Dark Elf, WH:
WS 4 BS4 S3 T3 W1 A1 I5* Ld 8 M5
Light armour, spears/repeating crossbows.
Hatred of high elves

*Generally, Dark Elves are thought of as even faster than High Elves. With the new "speed of asuryan" giving all high elves 'always strike first,' I'm going to assume DE will receive something similar.

Dark Elf, Dominions:
S 10
Hp 9
Mr 10
Prec 12
Att 12
Def 13
Ap 2/14
Mor 12

There are some serious issues with the equipment- for example, a repeater x-bow fires twice as rapidly as an ordinary bow, with the same range and killing power. It is as accurate as a human (prec 10) archer. Nratt2 looks really odd with ranged weapons, but the other option is to make them essentially bows. Opinions?

Sea dragon cloaks offer protection against only shooting, so I guess they'll be prot 0, decent parry shields.

Dark magic also poses some minor problems- death is appropriate, but not much else. I was thinking some air or astral or even water (also, with the slanesh influence...)
Blood could work in theory as well.

Infantry:
Warriors, two kinds (x-bow and spear/shield)
Corsairs (Two weapons, sea dragon cloak, light armour)
Witch Elves (Two weapons, really good combat troops, berserk, unarmoured.)
Shades (stealthy, high precision, x-bows and swords.)
Executioners (Heavy infantry, unique great sword (draich,) has actual armour)
Black Guard (Halberd, high stats, maybe sacred, cap only, expensive)
Now, how about killing blow or eternal hatred?

Cavalry:
Dark Riders (Fast, spears and x-bows. Die easily, maybe stealthy)
Cold One Knights (Slower, deadlier. High stats. Knights on lizards, basically.)


Crazies:
Hydras (Fire Breathing many headed war beasts. Probably via spell or a beastmaster summon.)
Reaper bolt thrower (Err� Nratt 6 heavy crossbows. Not sure about this one.)
Manticores (Flying beastie with good stats, fear. summon)
Black Dragons (run for your life, summon)
Harpies (puny and weak, but they fly)

Leaders:
Sorceresses- threeish points of magic, death 2 and something else 1. Dark magic spells will basically kill stuff a lot (Doombolt, Black Horror, Soul Stealer, etc.)

High Sorceresses- sixish points of magic. Seriously considering D4, something else 2.

Nobles- Good stats, good leaders.

Highborne-Really good stats, excellent leaders.

Assassin- Really Really good stats (how the heck do I represent WS9 I10 ??!!), assassin, stealthy.

Beastmaster- Tolerable stats, can summon war beasts. Don�t think I�ll mount it on a manticore.

Druchii Anointed- Really Really Very good stats, D2 magic, summoned. Armed with Lifetaker and Draich of Dark Power.


That�s it, I think.

Edit: Updated preview. I actually like my anointed (top right.)

[WraithLord]

Yoohoo

Now I'm eagerly waiting for this mod to develop.
Hurray Valandil.

So what's the status on WH mods for dom?- Sombre gave us skaven and ogres so we're missing what, DE, empire and HE, dwarfes, goblins, vamps, lizardman, did I miss some?

[Lurker_at_Threshold]

I really like Valandil assessment of the dark elves but I would have some suggestions. The darkelves are not the nicest race in the world with much of their society being centered around the cult of murder, with a ruling cabal of dark mages subservient to their witch king. That being said my suggestions are the following.

Dark elves should be a cold 1 race with units that are generally expensive in both gold and resources. I think Valandil has the stats down though I would be tempted to lower the strength to 9 for the base units.

Witchelves-Sacred, Berzerk +1, 2 weapons-1 dagger 1 shortsword, unarmored save possibly for a protection 1 headress.

Assassin-Sacred as well, really really good stats, poison

Sorceress-1D (210%D,S,B,W,F)

High Sorceress-Cap only. 1D 1S (410% D,S,B,W,F)

Witch Priestess-same stats and equipment as witch elves. H1 B1. Kill pop?

Hag Queen-Cap Only. weaker stats and same equipment as witch elves. H2 B2 (20%B) Old?, Kill pop?

Summons

Hydras-largely agree with you, I'm thinking they would be a death gem. conj 3.

Manticores-same as crossbreed variety. death gem. conj 4-5.

Black Dragon-very powerful. death gem. conj 8-9

Cauldron of Blood-immobile in battle, map move 1, H-3, healer. Blood cost. Construction 6.

Anointed-your idea is about right, possibly make them demons, I'm thinking blood 6-7.

Avatar-powerful SC, titan comparable stats, built in iron skin buff, Sacred, Demon, Berzerk +3, Fear. magic wise (400% B,D)

Possibly make the witch king as a unique summon though I'm more tempted to make him a pretender option given he would gamewise, be an extremely powerful mage, super combatant, mounted on a black dragon...

Heroes

Morathi-An immortal (agewise) sorceress who is the mother/lover of the witchking/pretender? and active both in the cult of murder and pleasure. Keeps immortality by bathing in original cauldron of blood. High Sorceress stats, Awe, Sacred. H-2 4D 3B 3S

Crone Hellebron- chief hag queen of cult of murder and principal rival of Morathi for witchking/pretender's? favor. extremely old. same stats as witch elves, built in magic sword that gives insanely high strength (warhammer strength 10) H-3 B-4, fear, old. mounted on manticore?

Hotek (I like him in terms of background, he gives DE limited access to earth) A former highpriest of a forge god Vaul. He stole Vaul's hammer upon the ascendancy of the witchking/pretender? and swore his loyalty to him. weak stats, sacred, blind, horror marked? forge bonus, E-3 B-1.

[Squirrelloid]

I'm interested in Dark Elves, but my graphics skillz are seriously lacking. I'd be happy to work on the stats/balance end of things.

Cold One Knights shouldn't be cap-only.

Dark Elves should have recruitable hydrae, probably different from the existing hydra unit. (Call it Coldborn Hydra or something). Cause fear, but no poison - maybe a cold aura? (not in Warhammer, but it would be cool).

Beastmasters should be able to come mounted on a manticore.

In the army list, Lords can ride a Black Dragon - cap-only recruitable but expensive? Summons? something?

Heroes:
The earlier list was good, but Morathi should be on a black pegasus.

Summons:
Malketh on Black Dragon? (Conj9 Death summon?)
More general Black Dragon summon? (Conj6-7 Death Summon, gains a lord post summons in flavor text)
Avatar of Khaine

Pretenders:
Khaine?
They should of course have access to the Dracolich pretender

[Foodstamp]

I've been working on graphics for a Menzoberranzan mod for a while now. I have the units completed and I am half way through the commanders. Some of the sprites may crossover to Warhammer but I am not sure it would be the look you are going for. They are modified Dom3 sprites and don't look like miniatures.

I've never played anything Warhammer related, so I don't know if they are appropriate. but if the sprites may be of use to you, even as a starting point to make your sprites, I am willing to upload them.

[Thilock_Dominus]

You can freely rip my old woodelf mod for Dominions 2 if you like, may be there something you can use:

http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=22406
http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/showthread.php?t=22911

Granted, it's freely based on the woodelves (due to limitation of dom2). But the sprites are okay
Or if anyone wants to make a Woodelf mod to dom3 they can rip them too.