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Dark Elves bring Cauldrons of Blood and many merry psychos to Total War: Warhammer 2

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The day after their chilling reveal trailer, the Dark Elf army roster has been revealed for Creative Assembly’s forthcoming Total War: Warhammer II. 

Here’s everything we know about Total War: Warhammer 2 so far.

The nastiest of the game’s three elven races, the Dark Elves specialise in swift and hard-hitting infantry – note Witch Elves, Executioners, and Black Guard in particular – and should offer a number of buffs to such troops. Put a Death Hag on a Cauldron of Blood near a huge unit of Witch Elves to imitate one of the meanest tabletop tactics. Basically, they’re ideal if you like playing aggressively.

Legendary Lords are the Witch King Malekith and his mother Morathi, as predicted. Before he was rejected by the flames of Asuryan that would’ve granted his succession to the elven throne, Malekith was the pride of his people. Now encased in magical armour and dripping with special items, he’s one of the few legendary lords who can wield magic as well as a sword. He can ride a cold one (a velociraptor, basically), cold one chariot, or Seraphon, his pet black dragon.

Malekith mother Morathi is a powerful sorceress and talented political schemer. Thanks to her founding the Cult of Pleasure and corrupting much of elven high society, the civil war that split the elven race is down to her almost as much as to her son. She can opt to ride Sulephet, a dark pegasus, into battle.

Lords

  • Male Dreadlord (missile lord, can be fielded on foot, a dark steed, a cold one, a dark pegasus, or a black dragon)
  • Female Dreadlord (melee lord, same mount options as above)

Heroes

  • Khainite Assassin (missile hero, can only be fielded on foot)
  • Death Hag (melee hero, can be fielded on foot or on a Cauldron of Blood)
  • Sorceress (magic hero, can be fielded on foot, a dark steed, a dark pegasus, or a cold one)

Infantry

  • Bleakswords (sword infantry)
  • Dreadspears (spear infantry)
  • Darkshards (missile infantry)
  • Darkshards with shields (missile infantry)
  • Black Ark Corsairs (dual sword infantry)
  • Black Ark Corsairs with handbows (hybrid infantry)
  • Witch Elves (dual sword infantry – damage dealers)
  • Har Ganeth Executioners (greatsword infantry – elites)
  • Black Guard of Naggarond (halberd infantry – elites)
  • Shades (hybrid infantry)
  • Shades with dual swords (hybrid infantry)
  • Shades with great weapons (hybrid infantry)
  • Harpies (flying melee infantry)

Cavalry

  • Dark Riders (fast melee cavalry)
  • Dark Riders with shields (fast melee cavalry)
  • Dark Riders with repeater crossbows (missile cavalry)
  • Cold One Knights with lances (shock cavalry – elites)
  • Cold One Dread Knights (melee cavalry – elites)

War Machines

  • Reaper Bolt Thrower (artillery)
  • Cold One Chariot (missile chariot)

Monsters

  • War Hydra
  • Black Dragon

The hard-hitting damage units that are the core of the army are present and correct, but as we’ve come to expect, there are some omissions compared with the tabletop list.

The Dark Elves are one of the more monster-heavy armies in the game, yet it seems their roster at launch will feature no Manticores, Bloodwrack Medusas, or Kharibdysses, nor the Beastmaster heroes who would tame them. Scourgerunner Chariots, Sisters of Slaughter, and Doomfire Warlocks – a fun cavalry unit that functions as a spellcaster collective – are also missing. Expect some or all of these to be added post-launch as DLC.

Here’s the announcement on the Total War blog.