‘Total War: Warhammer 2’: Dark Elves Roster And Army Guide

The armies of the Dark Elves are composed of the cruelest and most cold-blooded killers in the realm, armed to the teeth with vicious blades, vile magic and black armor.

Unlike their more honorable cousins, the Dark Elves favor speed and aggression over defensive tactics. They trade their overall durability for higher offensive stats that make them great in shock strategies but poor in long and drawn-out battles.

Here’s a quick overview of the Dark Elves and a few tips on how to play them in “Total War: Warhammer 2.”

Dark Elf Army Strengths And Weaknesses

The Dark Elves have an impressive selection of agile and stealthy fighters. Their armies are commonly made up of standard sword, spear and projectile infantry sections supported by fast-moving shock infantry and elite troops like Shades, Witch Elves and Executioners.

Shades can move anywhere while invisible, allowing players to maneuver them across the battlefield under the enemies’ noses. Basic Dreadspears and Bleakswords can hold a line relatively well, but Dark Elf players need to use their shock infantry to win battles.

Dark Elf special units, especially the heroes, can decimate entire enemy units by themselves. Hydras are relatively cheap frontline monsters that are great for dealing area damage while powerful lords like Malekith can win an entire battle by themselves in the campaign mode.

Players need to be fast when playing Dark Elves because their low endurance means they won’t be able to sustain themselves in long fights. Hit hard and hit fast.

Battle Tips and Strategies

All Shade units come with ranged weapons that are great for softening targets up before engaging them in melee. Toggle melee mode in the command bar to have them switch between weapons. Keep in mind that the strength of each Shade unit will still depend on what weapon they have and what enemy they’re up against.

Monsters like Manticores and Hydras often perform better in breaking frontlines than normal cavalry units like the Cold Ones and Dark Riders. However, horse-mounted units can still be used to chase after ranged units and retreating infantry.

Players can play Dark Elves somewhat like the Empire sans the heavy artillery. Hammer-and-anvil tactics work very well with the Dark Elves, just be mindful of anti-large units when fielding monsters.