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Druchii Warband (Pre-Beta release 4)
By multiple authors
at www.Druchii.net.
Edited by The Mordheimer.
Webmaster's Notes:
This experimental warband is in ADVANCED development stages. It
was originally developed by members of
www.Druchii.net in late 2004. Being fans of the Dark Elves, they saw
that the Lustrian version of the Dark Elves (or Druchii) were
over-powered. They have gather together as a community and created this
warband... and they have taken serious steps to insure regular
developments. Their original objective is to create a fair and balanced
warband for submission to Specialist Games, and eventual Official
Status.
Joining forces with us, they are a core
force for the upcoming push to Specialist Games of the elven warbands'
process to become Official. The
warband still
needs some
play-testing, so it can be balanced. In this case in particular, I had
nothing to do with its development, but I for sure will do some
play0testing! If you wish your opinion to be heard, feel free to do so
at their forums! We need your opinion on this warband!
Remember: Play the warband, write your comments and email them
in... THEN you can complain. :P
There are none living who know the
ways of the elves, save perhaps the mighty lizard-priests of the South whose
knowledge and power is rumored to grow far beyond that even of the High
Mages of the College of Magic of Altdorf. Those few elves who roam the lands
of the Empire are mysterious, their ways impenetrable to us.
There are those who, like Finubar the
Proud, openly declare themselves Manfriend and help defend our glorious Empire
from the encroaching forces of Chaos - too few of them, unfortunately. Of those,
we know what they would have us know - their history and that of their families,
and a little of the history of their land - the fabled island of Ulthuan. There
are those who stalk the night, warriors who come cloaked in darkness and
wielding bows, the death in their eyes revealed in their prey as their life is
snuffed out like a candle atop Brass Keep by one, well-placed arrow shot - of
those we know little, save that they name themselves "Shadow warriors of
Nagarythe" and, as their kindred of Ulthuan reassure us, they seek to do us no
harm.
There are those who protect the forests,
defending them from touch of Chaos and Man alike. There are also rumors of a
fourth breed of elves - a grim race, ruthless and sadistic. They come at night
in their low ships with sails of midnight-black, craving the poison that lurks
within the now-ruins of Mordheim, the Wyrdstone of which all those who go to the
Cursed City and return speak. They leave no witnesses, taking prisoner those who
are able-bodied enough to toil under them in slavery, murdering the others.
Of course, such nonsense is only that -
rumors, and nonsense, the delusional infibulations of crazed minds that have
seen the taint of Chaos from too close. It may be that some elves are more
ruthless than others, but they are just that - elves, and their ways are closed
to us.
Choice of Warriors:
A Druchii warband must include a minimum of three models. You
have 500 gold crowns to recruit your initial warband. The maximum number of
warriors in a warband may never exceed 12.
Noble: Each Druchii warband must
have one Noble to lead it - no more, no less.
Lordlings: Your warband may
include up to two Lordlings.
Sorceress: Your warband may
include one Sorceress.
Beastmaster: Your warband may
include one Beastmaster.
Corsairs: Your warband may
include any number of Corsairs.
Shades: Your warband may include
up to five Shades.
Witch Elves: Your warband may
include up to three Witch Elves.
Slavehounds: Your warband may
include up to three Slavehounds if it also includes a Beastmaster
Special Rules:
Kindred Hatred: The Dark Elves (also known as Druchii)
have been fighting the High Elves for many centuries. The wars between these
two races have been very long and bloody affairs. Dark Elves Hate any High
Elf warriors including High Elf Hired Swords.
Excellent Sight: There are numerous legends detailing
the excellent eyesight of the Elves, both Druchii and Asur kin. Elves can
spot Hidden enemies from twice as far away than normal warriors (i.e. twice
their Initiative value in inches).
Disdain: Dark Elves may never use black powder
weapons, as they find them too crude, noisy and unreliable.
Long-Lived: Elves, as a race, can live right through
dozens of human generations, with a lifespan spanning centuries rather than
decades. Due to this, they take longer to advance through the ranks, as they
do not have the short human lifespan to push them to great deeds before they
die. As such, the first time any Dark Elf henchman rolls "The Lad's Got
Talent", you must re-roll the dice. The second roll stands (even if you roll
"The Lad's Got Talent" again). This represents the fact that elves must do
much more than a member of the "lesser" races to gain the respect of their
commander and comrades. Any later results of "The Lad's Got Talent" count as
normal; only the first result rolled for each henchmen group must be
re-rolled.
Starting Experience:
A Noble starts with 20
experience.
Lordlings start with 12
experience.
A Sorceress starts with 12
experience.
A Beastmaster starts with 8
experience.
Henchmen start with 0 experience.
Druchii Skill Tables
Noble may choose from the Combat, Shooting,
Academic, Speed or Special Skills.
Lordling may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Speed or Special Skills.
Sorceress may choose from the Academic, Speed or
Special Skills.
Beastmaster may choose from the Combat,
Speed or Special Skills.
Druchii Maximum Profile
Dark Elves have the same maximum profile as elves in the
Mordheim rulebook.
M
WS
BS
S
T
W
I
A
Ld
5
7
7
4
4
3
9
4
10
Druchii May Hire
A Dark Elf warband may employ the following Hired Swords: Pit
Fighter, Ogre Bodyguard, Warlock, Imperial Assassin, Tilean Marksman and Dark
Elf Assassin.
Druchii Equipment List
Druchii Heroes
Corsairs
Hand to Hand Weapons
Hand to Hand Weapons
Dagger
1st free/ 2 gc
Dagger
1st free/ 2 gc
Axe
5 gc
Axe
5 gc
Sword
10 gc
Sword
10 gc
Double Handed Weapon
15 gc
Halberd
10 gc
Halberd
10 gc
Spear
10 gc
Spear
10 gc
Beastlash (Beastmaster only)
10 gc
Darksteel Blade
3x weapon cost gc
Missile Weapons
Missile Weapons
Repeater Crossbow *
20 gc
Repeater Crossbow *
20 gc
Crossbow Pistol
35 gc
Armor
Armor
(Except Wardancers)
Light Armor
20 gc
Light Armor
20 gc
Helmet
10 gc
Helmet
10 gc
Shield
5 gc
Shield
5 gc
Buckler
5 gc
Buckler
5 gc
Sea Dragon Cloak
35 gc
Sea Dragon Cloak
35 gc
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
Dark Venom
15 gc
Shades
* These special prices represent the
lower rarity of these items in Naggaroth. When attempting to purchase
these items in Mordheim, Dark Elf warbands pay the same prices as other
warbands and must roll to find them as normal. No roll is necessary to
find these items when first starting a Dark Elf warband.
Hand to Hand Weapons
Dagger
1st free/ 2 gc
Axe
5 gc
Sword
10 gc
Missile Weapons
Repeater Crossbow *
20 gc
Bow
10 gc
Armor
Light Armor
20 gc
Helmet
10 gc
Heroes
1 Noble; 75 Gold Crowns to
hire.
Dark Elf leaders are typically drawn from the Dark Elf nobility and lead the
warband in search of gold, slaves and arcane artifacts to bring home to
Naggaroth. They are cold and ruthless killers and they command the respect
of their troops through assassination and terror. They have attained their
position of leadership by eliminating those rivals who stood in their way
and through their remarkable cunning, they are dangerous foes who embody the
merciless traits of the Druchii race.
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BS
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Ld
5
5
4
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3
1
6
1
9
Weapons/Armor:
A Noble may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Druchii Heroes
Equipment list.
Special Rules:
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6" of the
Noble may use his Leadership instead of their own.
Feared and Respected: Dark Elf Nobles are known to
their troops for their cruelty and ruthlessness. As long as the Noble is not
Out Of Action, the Druchii warband will only have to test for routing if it
suffered more than a third of casualties instead of the normal quarter.
0-2 Lordlings; 45 Gold Crowns
to hire.
Lordlings are would-be commanders of the Druchii forces, and often serve
under a Noble as page or lieutenant. Lordlings accompany raiding parties to
the Old World to further their career, seeking to acquire fame, riches and
status in the Witch King’s court.
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BS
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Ld
5
4
4
3
3
1
6
1
8
Weapons/Armor:
Lordlings may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Druchii Heroes
equipment list.
0-1 Dark Elf Sorceress; 45 Gold
Crowns to hire.
Dark Elves are strange in that apart from the fell Witch King there are no other
male sorcerers - all the other practitioners of magic in the Dark Elf race are
female. It is rumored that any males who do develop an affinity for magic
amongst the Dark Elves are immediately put to death to prevent the fulfilling of
some dark prophecy. Dark Elf Sorceresses are mysterious, raven-haired beauties
who are grudgingly respected even by the powerful Nobles, and their services are
high in demand.
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3
3
3
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1
5
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8
Weapons/Armor:
A Sorceress may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Druchii
Heroes
equipment list, but may not cast spells if wearing armor.
Special Rules:
Wizard: The Dark Elf Sorceress is a wizard and
uses Dark Magic, detailed below.
Sectarism (Convents): A Sorceress and a Witch Elf
do not count as friendly models for the purposes of an All Alone test taken
by a warrior of the other sect.
0-1 Beastmaster; 40 Gold
Crowns to hire.
Whereas the High Elves have a great affinity with Dragons and Griffons and
other noble creatures their malevolent kin have infamous Beastmasters, Dark
Elves of particularly cruel renown who breed many vicious beasts and lead
them into combat. Unlike the High Elves who treat their beasts as
companions, the Dark Elf Beastmasters are very spiteful masters.
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WS
BS
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A
Ld
5
4
3
3
3
1
5
1
8
Weapons/Armor: A Beastmaster
may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Druchii Heroes equipment list.
Special Rules:
Slavehounds: The Beastmaster may be accompanied by
up to three Slavehounds. These are bought as henchmen and follow all rules
listed for them.
Henchmen
(In groups of 1-5)
0+ Corsairs; 35 Gold Crowns to
hire.
The Dark Elves are cruel and fierce fighters. This is especially true of the
Corsairs - the Black Ark Raiders. They are skilled with sword and axe, as
well as the repeater crossbow, the distinct missile weapon of the Dark
Elves. Whenever Druchii ships reach foreign shores, the Corsairs are the
first to launch raiding parties.
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WS
BS
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T
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I
A
Ld
5
4
3
3
3
1
5
1
8
Weapons/Armor: Corsairs may be
armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Dark Elf Equipment list. In
addition, they may wear Sea Dragon Cloaks even though they are not Heroes.
0-5 Shades; 35 Gold Crowns to
hire.
The stealthy Dark Elf Shades rely on their repeater crossbows to harass and
snipe at the enemy, rather than engaging them head on, as ambush is their
preferred style of fighting. These Shades are young and inexperienced scouts
that see the expeditions to the Old World as a valuable training opportunity.
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BS
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I
A
Ld
5
3
4
3
3
1
5
1
8
Weapons/Armor: Shades may be
armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Shades Equipment list.
Special Rules:
Natural Stealth: The first thing that Dark Elf
scouts master is the art of moving without being seen or heard. If a Shade
is Hidden, enemy models suffer -1 to their Initiative value for determining
if they can detect it or not.
0-3 Witch Elves; 45 Gold Crowns
to hire.
Witch Elves are the lethally beautiful followers of Khaine, the
Bloody-Handed god of murder, vengeance and war. Those amongst the devoted
who seek to become full-fledged priestesses of Khaine and learn His holy
canons are sent on missions for the Temple, to prove their worth in the eyes
of their god, and also serve to spy upon those Nobles who are temporarily
out of the King's grasp.
M
WS
BS
S
T
W
I
A
Ld
5
4
3
3
3
1
4
1
8
Weapons/Armor:
Witch Elves may be armed with weapons and armor chosen from the Druchii
equipment list, barring all missile weapons.
Special Rules:
Fervor: Witch Elves, being intent on proving their
battle prowess in Khaela Mensha Khaine's all-seeing gaze, follow the
Frenzy special rule.
Sectarism (Temple): A Witch Elf and a Sorceress do
not count as friendly models for the purposes of an All Alone test taken by
a warrior of the other sect. Note that for a Witch Elf this will only apply
should she lose her Frenzy.
Maibd Poison: Witch Elves, in battle,
carry sacred weapons anointed in holy poisons traditionally used to paralyze
slaves before their sacrifice. As such, any model Stunned or Knocked Down
will only recover on a roll of 4+. This effect lasts until the Dark Elf
player's next turn.
0-3 Slavehounds; 25 Gold Crowns
to hire.
The Dark Elves capture and breed many exotic creatures to fight for them,
and fights between pets are often staged as a form of entertainment amongst
the Dark Elves. Myriads of such animals can be discovered in the Chaos
Wastes. Among them is the Slavehound, a fierce breed of wild hounds that
resemble wolves more than dogs. The Dark Elves capture and train these
creatures to fight in battles all over the Warhammer World.
M
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BS
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Ld
7
4
0
4
3
1
4
1
5
Weapons/Armor:
Slavehounds are animals and do not need any weapons, save their claws and
massive jaws.
Special Rules:
Animals: Slavehounds are animals, and all animal
rules apply to them. They never gain experience.
Beastmaster: Slavehounds are vicious creatures
that are barely kept under control. If the Beastmaster dies the beasts will
immediately escape from the warband - remove them from the warband roster.
If the Beastmaster is unable to participate in a battle, then neither will
the beasts.
Trained: Slavehounds may use the basic Leadership
of the Beastmaster if they are within 6" of him. They may never use the
Leadership of the warband leader, but they may benefit from the
Beastmaster’s increased Leadership if he is within 6" of the leader. Since
Slavehounds are still wild creatures and their fighting spirit is what makes
them so precious, any Slavehound too far away from its master will often
refuse to obey orders. As such, a Slavehound out of the Beastmaster’s
control radius suffer from the Stupidity special rule.
Take Down: Slavehounds are trained to catch
fleeing slaves and drag them to a halt as fast as possible. On the turn a
Slavehound charges, any result of 6 on the To Hit roll will result in one
model in base-to-base contact being immediately Knocked Down . Since the
Slavehound forgoes a more damaging attack to bring its prey down, it does
not roll to wound this close combat phase.
Druchii' Special Skills
Dark Elf Heroes may use the following Skill table instead of
any of the standard skill tables available to them:
Fury of Khaine: The Dark Elf is infused with an
intense raging thirst for blood and is a whirlwind in hand-to-hand combat,
moving from opponent to opponent. The Druchii may make a 4" follow up move
if he takes all of his opponents out of action. If he comes into contact
with another enemy, this starts a new combat. This new combat takes place in
the following turn and the model counts as charging.
Fey Quickness: Few can ever hope to match an Elf
’s inhuman quickness and agility. An Elf with Fey Quickness can avoid melee
or missile attacks on a roll of 6. If the Elf also has Step Aside or Dodge
this will increase to a 4+ in the relevant area. For example, an Elf with
Fey Quickness and Step Aside avoids melee attacks on a 4+ and missile
attacks on a 6.
Infiltration: The Dark Elf can Infiltrate. This
skill is exactly the same as the Skaven skill, here reproduced for
convenience. An individual with
this skill is always placed on the battlefield after the opposing
warband and can be placed anywhere on the table as long as it is out of
sight of the opposing warband and more than 12" away from any enemy
model. If both players have models which infiltrate, roll a D6 for each,
and the lowest roll sets up first.
Master of Poisons: The Dark Elf is proficient in
concocting different poisons. If the Hero doesn’t search for rare items, he
may make D2 doses of Dark Venom instead. The poison must be used in the next
battle and cannot be sold or traded to other warbands as the Dark Elves
guard their secrets very carefully.
Counter Attack: An experienced fighter can
anticipate the moves of his enemy to avoid his attack while performing an
attack of his own. If any enemy model in base contact with the Hero fails at
least one to-hit roll, the Hero gets an additional attack.
Druchii' Special Equipment
Darksteel Weapon; 3 x Price;
Availability: Rare 9
Darksteel weapons are forged in the city of Hag Graef, the Dark Crag. They
are fashioned from black steel, a rare form of steel found deep within the
mountains around the city and are forged using an ancient technique known
only to the Dark Elves. Darksteel weapons have wicked protrusions and
serrated edges, which inflict serious damage on an opponent. Any Druchii can
upgrade any weapon to a Darksteel weapon by paying the required amount of
gold crowns in addition to the weapon's price at the time of purchase.
Weapons upgraded to a Darksteel Weapon retain all of their abilities (i.e.
swords can parry, double-handed weapons strike last).
Range
Strength
Special Rules
Close Combat
As user
Critical Damage, Wicked Edge
Special Rules:
Critical Damage: Darksteel weapons inflict
serious damage on their opponents. When rolling on the critical hit
chart, a Darksteel weapon will add +1 to the result.
Wicked Edge: Darksteel weapons are set with
sharp protrusions and serrated edges which inflict serious damage on an
opponent. A roll of 2-4 on the injury table is a stunned result.
Beastlash; 10+D6 gc;
Availability: Rare 8 (Beastmaster only)
The Beastmaster make good use of their whips to goad their hounds and
creatures into combat.
Range
Strength
Special Rules
Close Combat
As user -1
Beastbane; Whipcrack; Cannot be
Parried
Special Rules:
Beastbane: The Beastmaster wielding a
Beastlash causes Fear in animals. Any animal charged by or wishing to
charge a Beastmaster with one of these weapons must first take a fear
test as mentioned in the psychology section of the Mordheim rules.
Whipcrack: When the wielder charges they gain
+1A for that turn. This bonus attack is added after any other
modifications. When the wielder is charged they gain +1A that they may
only use against the charger. This additional attack will ‘strike
first’. If the wielder is simultaneously charged by two or more
opponents they will still only receive a total of +1A. If the wielder is
using two whips at the same time then they get +1A for the additional
hand weapon, but only the first whip gets the whipcrack +1A.
Cannot be Parried: A Beastlash, being a very
flexible weapon and used with great expertise by the Beastmaster
wielding it, cannot be parried.
Sea Dragon Cloak; 35+2D6 gc;
Availability: Rare 10
Dark Elf Corsairs use special cloaks fashioned from the skin and scales of
the sea monsters that dwell deep in the oceans depths. These cloaks are
tough and resilient, and offer Dark Elves a very good amount of protection.
Special Rule - Scales: The wearer of the Sea Dragon receives a +2
bonus to his save against shooting (or in the event where he has none, a 5+
save) and a +1 bonus to his save in close combat (or, if he has none, a 6+
save). A Sea Dragon Cloak may be combined with other pieces of armor
(shield, light armor) with no penalty.
Dark Magic
Like their
hated Asur kin, the Dark Elves are accomplished practitioners of magic. However,
whereas the High Elves essentially use magic defensively and for the power of
good, the Dark Elves utilize the evil powers of Dark Magic - a very destructive
force indeed.
Doombolt: Whispering an ancient incantation, the
Sorceress conjures a bolt of pure dark energy and unleashes it from her
outstretched hand. The Doombolt may be targeted at any enemy model in line
of sight. The bolt has an 18" range and causes a Strength 5 hit. If the
target model is wounded, then the next closest model within 6" is also hit
on a 4+, at -1 Strength than the previous hit. The bolt will keep leaping
until there are no more targets within range or until its Strength drops to
a one. Take armor saves as normal. Difficulty 8
Word of Pain: The Sorceress calls down the wrath
of Khaine upon her enemy, causing his resolve to disappear. The spell may be
cast at an enemy model within 12". The victim must re-roll all successful
hand to hand or missile attacks and all to wound rolls. If the victim wishes
to charge, he must pass a successful Leadership test first. Lasts until the
beginning of the next Dark Elf turn. Difficulty 8
Soul Stealer: At the Sorceress’s touch, the
essence of life is drained from her enemy and absorbed into her body, giving
her renewed strength and vigor. Once successfully cast, the Sorceress has
to make a to hit roll against a model in base contact. If the attack is
successful and her opponent is struck, he suffers a wound with no armor
save possible. The Sorceress feeds on this life-force and adds one wound to
her current total. Note: the Sorceress can never have more then one extra
wound on her profile from the use of this spell (she may cast it as many
times as she wishes to regain lost wounds) and the extra wound is lost once
the battle is over. Difficulty 9
Black Blade of Khaine: Summoning Dark Magic, the
Sorceress engulfs a weapon in twisted black flames. The Sorceress may choose
the hand-to-hand combat weapon of a member of her warband within 6" to be
engulfed in flames. A weapon with these flames acts as a normal weapon of
its type, but adds a +2 bonus to the user’s Strength. Hits inflicted from
the weapon ignore armor saves. Lasts until the Sorceress’ next shooting
phase. Difficulty 8
Deathspasm: The Sorceress channels Dark Magic into
her enemy, causing him to writhe in excruciating pain. The Deathspasm has a
range of 6" and must be cast on the closest enemy model. The affected model
must roll on the injury chart. If successfully cast, the casting Sorceress
is immediately knocked down. This cannot be prevented by using the Jump Up
skill. Difficulty 9
Witch Flight: The Sorceress bends the winds of
magic to her will and flies through the air. The Sorceress may immediately
move anywhere within 12", and may count as charging. If she engages a
fleeing enemy in the close combat phase, she will score 1 automatic hit and
then the opponent will flee again. Difficulty 7