Darkling coven, do I?

[Dracothjay]

Just wondering if anyone here fields the darkling coven army? If so, how and what units? Does anyone field DC with any other dark elf units that aren't darkling covens?

i ask as the new dark elves are released summer time and wondering if I should save my cash for that or get the darkling covens early in hope of existing dark elf models roles into a new battletome.

[yarrickson]

While I wouldn't often say this to someone wanting to start a new army, and particularly wanting to start such a good-looking pretty army as Darkling Covens.... Don't. 

I know a chap locally who did just that, and who can blame him, executioners, bleak swords and the black dragon are some of my favourite warhammer models. In fact I have a unit of bleak swords upstairs on my painting table for a bit of fun. However after building 2000 points of Darklings he soon discovered how toothless they are ad a faction. Key units lack any real Synergy's, bleak swords and executioners in particular are crying out for a hit buff, but there are none in faction and you have to look at former empire units for these. 

He took his dark elves to a national (Scottish) tournament and sadly, was easy prey for all the 'proper' AOS armies. 

At the end of the day I suppose my advice would be, they are beautiful models, do it if you love them and don't care your main in-game role will be their removal from the table. Otherwise save your pennies for whatever great aelf release is on its way. 

I only hope that some other TGA member is a darkling Covens savant and can put forth the case for them. :-)

 

[Dracothjay]

I see your point, but playing them from compendium where all units are keyworded as 'Exiles' then it becomes far more synergistic. 

[Mayple]

Darkling Coven has Dreadspears going for them, that's about it (Due to how cheap they are) - and you don't really need the allegiance to use them as battleline. 

Holding out for the new aelves, or some kind of updated battletome is probably the wisest move (It's what I'm doing) - but if your fingers are itching, you can always grab Tenebrael Shard and Mistweaver Saih. Those are the most up-to-date elves out there, and assassins don't need much synergy to be effective (Hide a dark elf assassin or two in Tenebrael Shard, and show people why Dark Aelves should still be feared) - You'll win the battle, but never the war. For now. 

Exiles as a compendium is a lot better yes, but you'd have to be willing to go that route, and find opponents who'd accept you using your army under those keywords. 

[Dracothjay]

My club all play compendium so I'm ok there. But do I save money for the new release Bute the bullet and get some now as I'm guessing certain units from the Dark elves will be getting rolled into the new battletome.

[Carlsaganjrjr]

Dreadspears and Sorceresses are great. Cheap battleline that with a little sacrifice help the Sorceresses immensely. Mystic shield on a 4+ is huge.

But yeah, other than that, everybody is right, lacks synergy, and needs a Hurricanum to turn on Executioners, atm.

If your mates like playing compendium that's great for added synergy!

My thought would be gets some spears or swords, couple Sorceresses, maybe executioners and/or a Shard. Then wait patiently for the Aelves glorious return

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[Mayple]

If you really want to go into compendium stuff, Shades are a -great- unit Their special deployment allows them to compete with pretty much anything. 

[Dracothjay]

I've got a mistweaver and a shard already and all painted. Could try and make a shadow army I suppose, shades dreadspears, xbows and some fighty units?

[Kramer]

I find that in a casual environment they work well enough. You win some you lose some (mostly against factions with a battletome). I don't play pure Darkling covens however. Reaper crossbows are very good, shades and dark riders add some tactical flexibility and I just love the lord on dragon (mostly because I just painted him ). 

30 Dreadspears in cover are very hard to shift, adding either the sorceress spell on a opponent or mystical shield improves them even more. 
Executioners hit like a tank on the charge, and the old models are some of my favourites ever, but tend to have a big target on their backs and for 200pts.. well just protect them. 
Dark Shards are a hit and miss unit for me. mostly due to my poor rolling, but occasionally rolling 20+ 5's and 6's makes them almost worth it. 

All in all I personally supplement them with other 'dark elf' factions and have a ton of fun with them. On purchasing them... I would go for the things you like to paint. Can't go wrong with that and fill the time until the release with that.

But although the rumour seems very solid i'm still trying to keep in mind that nothing is confirmed. I like the thought of chutlu/shadow like elves, and like the shard well enough but I thought the same about Kahadron overlords and in the end the execution of the concept really disappointed me. So I'm not going one way or the other until I see some models

 

 

[Kaleun]

thing with the Dark Elves. Don't see them as their factions solely. An army built around Darkling Covens alone wont simply work. You still need the back up of heavy Cav. and Artillery. The Sorc on Dragon is pretty lackluster.

I usually play with the full range of dark elve models und give the factions only a minor priority when choosing synergy. Actally we simply do not have a lot of options for synergies.

Making 2000 Points Darkling Covens only wont bring you great success, thats for sure.