Druchii
Grade: 2a
Source: Druchii.net (PDF)
Setting: Mordheim
Lore
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 rumoured 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 rumours 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 - rumours, and nonsense, the delusional affabulations 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.
Special Rules
Kindred Hatred: Dark Elves Hate any High Elf warriors including High Elf Hired Swords.
Fey Acuity: During the Exploration phase when checking for artifacts or wyrdstone at the end of the game, add +1 to the number of pieces found by a Dark Elf warband, as long as at least one hero was searching.
Disdain: Dark Elves may never use black powder weapons, as they find them too crude, noisy and unreliable.
Slavers: In case of finding prisoners (roll of "333" during Exploration phase) Druchii may follow the rules for Skaven.
Maximum Characteristics:
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 10 |
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.
Heroes
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.
Henchmen
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.
Due to their merciless nature a Druchii warband may only employ the following Hired Swords:
Official: Pit Fighter, Ogre Bodyguard, Warlock, Imperial Assassin, Tilean Marksman, Highwayman.
Unofficial, but published by SG: Duelist, Witch, Emissary of Chaos, Human Scout, Old Prospector
Lustria: Dark Elf Assassin, Pathfinder
Khemri: Nomad Scout, Thief
Completely unofficial: Shade Scout
Starting Experience
A Noble starts with 20 experience.
Lordlings start with 8 experience.
A Sorceress starts with 8 experience.
A Beastmaster starts with 8 experience.
Henchmen start with 0 experience.
Druchii Skill Table
| Combat | Shooting | Academic | Speed | Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noble | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lordling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Sorceress | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Beastmaster | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Special Skills
Druchii Heroes may use the following Special Skills in addition to any normally available to them:
Frenzied Charge
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 they take all of their opponents out of action. If the elf 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 identical to the Skaven skill.
Poisoner
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.
Marksman of Naggaroth
Eyes of this hero are so keen and hands so steady that he can completely omit the penalty for long range if using a crossbow type weapon. Further, if he did not move this turn, he can shoot from repeater crossbow twice per turn without penalty or three times per turn with -1 penalty to hit.
Will to Survive
Naggaroth is a harsh land with harsh inhabitants and weaklings are shown no mercy. This elf is able to survive by pure strength of will. If the model gets out of action and result of the Serious Injuries roll is death, make a Leadership test against unmodified Ld of the model (no holy relics etc.). If you succeed, the model will survive but will miss D3 battles instead.
Keen Sight
There are numerous legends detailing the excellent eyesight of the Elves, both Druchii and Asur kin. This elf can spot Hidden enemies from twice as far away than normal warriors (i.e. twice his Initiative value in inches).
Druchii Equipment Lists
Druchii Hero Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Draich | 25 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
| Beastlash (Beastmaster only) | 10 gc |
| Darksteel blade | 3 x price |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Repeater crossbow* | 20 gc |
| Crossbow pistol | 35 gc |
| Throwing knives | 15 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Helmet | 10 gc |
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Buckler | 5 gc |
| Sea dragon cloak | 30 gc |
Miscellaneous Equipment
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dark venom | 15 gc |
Corsair Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
Missile Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Repeater crossbow* | 20 gc |
Armour
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Helmet | 10 gc |
| Light armour | 20 gc |
| Shield | 5 gc |
| Buckler | 5 gc |
| Sea dragon cloak | 30 gc |
Shades Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
Witch Elves Equipment List
Hand-to-hand Combat Weapons
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Dagger | 1st free/2 gc |
| Axe | 5 gc |
| Sword | 10 gc |
| Halberd | 10 gc |
| Spear | 10 gc |
*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.
**See Witch Elves entry below for details.
Note, that henchmen promoted to heroes still select their equipment from their henchmen-class table. They do not get access to "heroes equipment".
Special Equipment
Draich
Cost: 25 + 1D6 gc
Availability: Rare 8
A Draich is a two-handed sword, typically used by dreaded Executioners of Har Ganeth. This sword is well balanced not to encumber elven swordsman, but can still deliver a deadly blow.
Range: Close combat
Strength: As user +2
Special Rules: Two-handed, Swift
Two-handed: A model armed with a double-handed weapon may not use a shield, buckler or additional weapon in close combat. If the model is equipped with a shield, he will still get a +1 bonus to his armour save against shooting.
Swift: A Draich, unlike other double-handed weapons, does not Strike last.
Darksteel Blade
Cost: 3 x base weapon 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. Weapons with Darksteel blades have wicked protrusions and serrated edges, which inflict serious damage on an opponent. Any Druchii hero can use a close-combat weapon with a Darksteel blade. Getting it, however, is not that easy.
Range: Close combat
Strength: As user
Special Rules: Critical damage, Wicked edge
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
Cost: 10 + D6 gc
Availability: Rare 8 (Beastmaster only)
The Beastmasters make good use of their whips to goad their hounds and creatures into combat.
Range: Close combat
Strength: As user
Special Rules: Beastbane, Whipcrack, Cannot be parried, +1 Enemy armour save
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 he will still only receive a total of +1A. If the wielder is using two whips at the same time then he gets +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.
+1 Enemy armour save: Whips are not made for penetrating an enemy model's armour. An enemy wounded by a Beastlash gains a +1 bonus to his armour save, and a 6+ armour save if he has none normally.
Sea Dragon Cloak
Cost: 30 + 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 Rules:
Scales: The wearer of the Sea Dragon Cloak 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 armour (shield, light armour) with no penalty.
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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 9 |
Weapons/Armour: A Noble may be armed with weapons and armour 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.
0 – 1 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 rumoured 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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: A Sorceress may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Druchii Heroes Equipment list, but may not cast spells if wearing armour.
SPECIAL RULES
Wizard: The Dark Elf Sorceress is a wizard and uses Dark Magic, detailed below.
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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: A Beastmaster may be armed with weapons and armour 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.
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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: Lordlings may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Druchii Heroes Equipment list.
Henchmen
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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: Corsairs may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Corsairs 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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: Shades may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Shades Equipment list.
SPECIAL RULES
Natural Stealth: If a Shade is Hidden, enemy models halve 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.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: Witch Elves may be armed with weapons and armour chosen from the Witch Elves Equipment list.
SPECIAL RULES
Frenzy: Witch Elves, being intent on proving their battle prowess in Khaela Mensha Khaine's all-seeing gaze, follow the Frenzy special rule.
Maibd Poison: Witch Elves often anoint their weapons in various poisons, for both martial and religious purposes. They are able to prepare their poisons and they know where to get needed ingredients. As a result, a warband, containing Witch Elves, may purchase Black Lotus as Common item for reduced price of 5 gc per dose. However, Black Lotus, purchased in such a way, may only be used by Witch Elves. The poison must be used in the next battle and cannot be sold or traded to other warbands.
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 help them in their slave hunting missions all over the Warhammer World.
| Profile | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Weapons/Armour: 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 by their Beastmaster. As long as Beastmaster is not knocked down, stunned or out of action, Slavehounds may use his Leadership instead of their own for any Leadership test, provided that the Beastmaster is within 6" of the Slavehound in question. But, since Beastmaster is the only authority they respect, they cannot use Leadership of warband Leader. Consequently, if the Beastmaster is unable to participate in a battle, then neither will the beasts. If the warband does not contain a Beastmaster, there is no one able to control Slavehounds, so they have to stay in warband's camp (and when feeding time comes, it has to be done from a safe distance).
Pack Work: Slavehounds are trained to detect hiding slaves and show them to their masters. If a Slavehound knows about enemy model (has a line of sight, has unhidden it etc.), the Beastmaster and all other slavehounds of the same warband can declare charge on this model even if they do not see it. No Initiative roll is necessary.
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 utilise the evil powers of Dark Magic, a very destructive force indeed.
| D6 | Spell | Difficulty | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doombolt | 8 | 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 from the previous hit. The bolt will leap a maximum of four times or until there are no more targets within range. A model may only be hit once by a single casting of the spell. Take armour saves as normal. |
| 2 | Word of Pain | 8 | 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. |
| 3 | Soul Stealer | 9 | At the Sorceress's touch, the essence of life is drained from her enemy and absorbed into her body, giving her renewed strength and vigour. Once successfully cast, the Sorceress has to succeed in at least one to-hit roll in close combat phase against a model in base contact. If the attack is successful and her opponent is struck, he suffers a wound with no armour save possible. The Sorceress feeds on this life-force and adds one wound to her current total. Note: the Sorceress can never have more than 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. |
| 4 | Black Blade of Khaine | 8 | 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 armour saves. Lasts until the Sorceress' shooting phase. |
| 5 | Deathspasm | 9 | The Sorceress channels Dark Magic into her enemy, causing him to writhe in excruciating pain. 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. |
| 6 | Witch Flight | 7 | 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. |