Hello everyone,
After covering the Night Goblins as part of our Battle of Axe Bite Pass recreation project, inspired by the famous battle report published in the very first French issue of White Dwarf, we are now turning our attention to the second army: the High Elves.
Unlike the Night Goblins, who have benefited from a significant range refresh in recent years thanks to the Gloomspite Gitz, the High Elves have unfortunately not received the same treatment. While their return in The Old World is excellent news, a large portion of the range still relies on miniatures whose sculpts are now clearly showing their age.
For this reason, we decided to prioritize the Goblin army first and wait to see what Games Workshop might offer for the High Elves in the future. With a bit of luck, new miniatures or updated sculpts will eventually expand the range over the coming years.
Our goal is not simply to recreate an army list, but also to build a force that makes sense within the narrative context of the scenario.
We therefore chose to represent a coastal garrison tasked with patrolling the shoreline and scouting enemy movements. This approach perfectly matches the role described in the original scenario while also allowing us to showcase some of the best-looking miniatures currently available.
The Lothern Sea Guard play a central role in this project. Their relatively recent kit still holds up very well visually and fits perfectly within a mobile reconnaissance force. In contrast, the classic plastic Spearmen and Archers, while iconic units of the High Elf army, are beginning to show the limitations of sculpts designed several decades ago.
In the original battle report, the High Elf army consisted of:
- 1 Mage on Unicorn
- 2 regiments of Spearmen
- 2 regiments of Archers
- 1 regiment of Silver Helms
This force totaled approximately 1,880 points under the rules of the time.
As we did with the Night Goblins, we decided to round the army up to 2,000 points in order to make list building easier using modern rules. This leaves a gap of roughly 500 points between the two armies. On paper, this may seem significant, but it is important to remember that the Goblins possess the fearsome Skull Staff of Kaloth, a powerful magical item capable of heavily influencing the outcome of the battle.
Creating this army is not necessarily straightforward. The limitations of the current range force us to select units not only based on their effectiveness on the tabletop, but also on the quality and appearance of the available miniatures.
As a result, we have focused on the most recent kits in order to build an army that is enjoyable to paint, display, and play. Naturally, this list may evolve depending on future releases for The Old World and any potential High Elf additions.
Here is our proposed 2,000 points army:
Army List – High Elves – 1500 Points
Characters
- Noble
Hand Weapon, Cavalry Spear, Light Armour, General, Griffin, Armour of Silvered Steel, Potion of Speed, Pure of Heart - Sea Guard Garrison Commander
Hand Weapon, Longbow, Heavy Armour, On Foot, Giant Blade, Sacred Incense - Mage
Hand Weapon, Level 2 Wizard, On Foot, Healing Potion, Arcane Familiar, Pure of Heart, High Magic
Core Units
- 29 Lothern Sea Guard
Hand Weapons, Thrusting Spears, Warbows, Light Armour, Shields, Veterans, Drilled, Sea Master (Champion), Standard Bearer [Totem of Wrath], Musician, Full Command - 19 Lothern Sea Guard
Hand Weapons, Thrusting Spears, Warbows, Light Armour, Shields, Veterans, Sea Master (Champion), Standard Bearer [Razor Banner], Musician, Full Command - 7 Shadow Warriors
Longbows, Light Armour, Scouts, Feigned Flight, Ambushers, Shadow-Walker
Special Units
- Lothern Skycutter
Cavalry Spears, Shortbows, Wicked Claws, Eagle-Eye Bolt Thrower
Rare Units
- 10 Ellyrian Reavers
Hand Weapons, Cavalry Spears, Light Armour, Shortbows, Scouts, Skirmishers, Harbinger (Champion), Standard Bearer, Musician, Full Command - Merwyrm
Lashing Talons, Serpentine Tail, Briny Breath, Heavy Armour
It is important to point out that we are not yet regular players of The Old World and that this army list was not designed with competitive play or meta optimization in mind.
Our approach is primarily narrative and hobby-focused. We want to recreate the atmosphere of the original scenario while using miniatures that we enjoy and that fit our vision of the army.
Furthermore, building two complete armies along with a dedicated themed gaming table is a long-term project. By the time everything is finished, it is entirely possible that The Old World will have already received several rules updates or army list revisions.
When that time comes, we will take a closer look at the rules and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that both armies remain compatible with the current version of the game. The lists presented today should therefore be viewed as working foundations that will gradually evolve alongside the project and future releases.
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At the bottom of each post, you’ll find a list of all related blog entries, which we’ll update as the project evolves.
- High Elves Project: The Beginning
- Coming soon…
Questions, ideas, spelling error or just want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment below! And if you enjoy our work, a little support would help us keep creating more and more content.
See you soon!
