Dark Elves Updated Missing Characters and Units

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

This is the fifth in a series of Posts I plan on doing on a complete visual guide to factions and their missing units.

Links to the rest of this series

Premise

I've formatted this similar to how you may have seen them before, however I am doing this all from scratch to remaster the visual guides everyone has been drawing from; bringing them up to full speed with the latest DLC, fixing any issues that may have existed in them (such as missing models or artwork) and expanding them to include characters and units that were overlooked in the posts you may have seen before.

That being said, some characters or units never had models and have no noteworthy art that I could find. In the event of a missing model or artwork I have attempted to compensate with a similar model, another art piece, a screenshot I took in game from a mod or, in the worst case scenario: a bootleg model *shudders*

Introduction

Similar to the Lizardmen, the Dark Elves roster is fairly complete, yet they have a distinct lack in the diversity of their lords and they have almost no presence within the old world, the southlands, Ulthuan and even the majority of Lustria.

Thankfully, many of their missing characters have an in lore precedent to be placed almost anywhere on the map: both Kouran Darkhand and Mengil Manhide are noted for attacking Ind, Araby, Bretonnia and Norsca; with Mengil ultimately working within the old world. Malida and Tullaris Dreadbringer could both be placed at home in Naggaroth or on Ulthuan. I don't believe Hubris has a fixed location so he could easily be moved around and even Malus could be placed anywhere in the Chaos Wastes in his search for Tz'arkan's lost relics (he has faced off against both Norsca and Chaos in the past). Though it might be nice to see Malus, Malida and others set up in their lorefull home: I think that CA is very likely to place any and all future Dark Elf lords abroad, so as to diversify their starting positions and the demographics of each area of the map in general.

Missing Lords and Heroes

(optional) Info on these characters and how they could work in WH2

Kouran Darkhand
Kouran is the Captain of the Black Guard and the Longest standing member of Malekith's personal Army. His wits are as sharp as his blade and he has studied for centuries under the greatest weapon masters in all of Naggaroth (many of his masters did not survive tutoring him). He fought across the world within the Witch Kings retinue, earning infamy through his cruel exploits in the Empire, Bretonnia and Ind.

Upon his triumphant return, Kouran Sought out the Captain of the Black Guard and hurled him from the walls of Naggarond to a bone splintering death. Malekith, pleased by his ruthless nature, appointed him the position and since then he has killed no less than 17 challengers to keep his rank and the Skulls of all 17 now adorn the gates of the Tower of Grief.

He once sacrificed the lives of half his army to lead the enemy into a trap. As a leader he cares nothing for the lives of those under his command: he is cold and ruthless; respected and feared in equal measure by all his fellow Druchii.

Malida of Karond Kar
Malida of Karond Kar is one of the youngest Witch Elves ever to rise to the status of Hag Queen; yet her thirst for blood has made her one of the deadliest servants at the Witch Kings disposal and she aspires to be the greatest Hag Queen ever to have ruled over the Sisterhood.

Malida was a part of the Reconquest of the Shadowland's and she demanded the right to cleanse Eagle Pass of its defenders; knowing that their would be no retreat so they would make easy sacrifices to the Lord of Murder. She sew the campaigns in Nagarythe as the perfect opportunity to spill blood in the name of Khaine, and dreams of restoring His Great Temple in the Heart of Tor Anlec to its former glory.

Malus Darkblade
"The Tyrant of Hag Graef" was born a bastard and had to compete for status with his older and more favoured siblings. To gain validation from the master of Hag Graef and his father: he set out into the Chaos Wastes in search of great treasure, riding upon his trusty cold one Spite, who has a almost human level of intelligence.

Malus eventually found what he was looking for, but within the treasure lay a powerful Deamon known as Tz'arkan, who possessed the Dark Elf and held his soul hostage; threatening to steal it forever, if Malus did not do his bidding. Within 1 year to the day, Malus needed to find and collect 5 long lost magical artefacts the Deamon needed to free himself; and so, with great reluctance, he set out on his quest with the Deamon still inhabiting his body.

(spoilers for the Books)
This quest would see Malus single handedly defeating a Dragon Ogre, using magic to take command of his older brothers fleet to defeat Norscan pirates; he Kills his Father and half sister, Leads an army of enemy Druchii to march on his own home of Hag Graef and defeats a Chaos invasion, lead by the sister that he previously killed. In the end though, his quest was in vein, as the Deamon Tz'arkan was bound to his body for all time and takes control of him whenever he sleeps. Malus feels nothing and cares for no one: "he is spite and endless hatred given form"

Mengil Manhide
Mengil is a sadistic cannibal who was banished from his home of Clar Karond by his father, until he hunted down and killed an escaped young norscan slave. Mengil did not only kill his quarry, in his revelry: he smeared the blood of the Norscan across his face, drank deep from the mans heart, ate his flesh and fashioned his skin into a cloak. His father was so impressed that he gave him the title 'Manhide'.

He joined the Corsairs of Clar Karond and though he was a tenacious leader who could always achieve victory: he was despised by his superiors for risking too many men and bringing back few slaves in return; such was his blood lust that he would kill even those who surrendered to him; hacking at their bodies long after the life was drained from their eyes. Within half a century Mengil was leading the majority of the raids launched from the Black Ark known as "the Citadel of Spite" as he ravaged the coasts of Ulthuan, Arabyan Norsca, Bretonnia and Estalia. He was still terrible at retrieving slaves, but his superiors came to be satisfied with the sheer terror he sowed in the hearts of their enemies.

For a time, His Black Ark controlled the entrance to the Tilean Sea: preying on the merchants, smugglers and all who lived on the coastline, until one day, while Mengil and most of the men were away on a raid, the Citadel of Spite was attacked by High Elf warships and forced to retreat; leaving the raiding party stranded and the Ark did not return. Since that day Mengil and his raiders (known as Manflayers) have made a name for themselves as feared sellswords and assassins in the old world. Mengil has also returned to Naggaroth several times, where he is readily employed by the Dreadlords as an assassin to take out potential rivals.

Beastmaster Rakarth
Hubris is the most accomplished Beastmaster the Dark Elves have ever known, even as a child he was able to tame a particularly vicious Dark Steed named Bracchus, which would become his faithful mount well into his adulthood. It was Eventually slain some 30 years later, with Rakarth's presence at the Battle of the Finuval Plain, during a campaign that would Distinguish Tyrion and Teclis as great heroes of the Asur.

Rakarth has since tamed a Mighty Black Dragon to be his mount and has Named it Bracchus, in honour of his childhood friend that he lost in that great and terrible battle.

Shadowblade
The best Khainite Assassin in the business and the favourite servant of Crone Hellebron.

Tullaris Dreadbringer
Tullaris is the Chosen of Khaine and the Captain of the Har Ganeth Executioners. Unlike Malekith, who claims to be Khaine's mortal avatar purely for the accompanying political advantage, Tullaris is the Lord of Murder's true herald. His dreams and waking hours alike, are filled by violent whispers that urge him on to ever great acts of slaughter. Little by little, the Witch King has become aware of this unfortunate state of affairs, and knows that a reckoning between himself and the god-touched warrior will one day be necessary.

He has become so well known beyond the walls of Har Haneth that even rumours of his presence sets an unassailable fear through the ranks of his enemies and the mere glimpse of his blood encrusted armour has been known to rout foes from the battlefield. While he will always remain loyal to Hellebron, his devotion is to Khaine and Khaine alone. He has killed fellow Executioners without flinching at even a fleeting suspicion that their devotion was not absolute or their Form in battle was too sloppy. It is he, through his cruel and malevolent deeds that made the Har Ganeth Executioners known the world over as a sight to be feared within any army of the Druchii.

Generic Lords/Heroes and Mounts

(optional) Info on these Generic Lords/Heroes and how they could work in WH2

Black Ark Fleetmaster
Unless CA flesh out the Black Arks, allowing us to attack coastal settlements with them, conduct raids form them or something like that, then this will simply be a new Skin for the Dreadlords of the Black Arks.

Dark Elf Master
Masters are lesser nobles than Dreadlords and their role would be as a pure Melee hero for the Druchii.

High Beastmaster/Mistress
A unique new lord choice for the Dark Elves focused primarily on the buffing the Large units in their roster.

Missing Units

(optional) Info on these units and how they could work in WH2

Black Ark Reavers
Another unit option with which to expand upon the Druchii Navy, that could come with the inclusion of the Fleetmaster. This unit could be somewhere in-between the Corsairs and the Sisters of Slaughter with high speed, dodge and maybe Aquatic for the hell of it. Would also be really nice to see some more woman representation in our units, particularly the Druchii.

Bloodwrack Medusae
These revile creatures were once Sorceresses of Ghrond, who used their magic and blood feasting rituals to become more beautiful, even than their Elven gods. Thus the goddess Atharti, who was Vein beyond measure, sought revenge against these witches of the Druchii. She stripped them of their beauty, transforming them into these hideous creatures and then she reduced their minds to that of a worthless beast, only keeping a sliver of awareness in their heads such that they might remember all that they have lost in their transformation.

Morathi alone escaped this fate, for she was naturally beautiful beyond the need of such rituals. The medusae were scattered from their home of Ghrond and became another Feral creature of Naggaroth; however some of them emerge willingly from their lairs and follow the scent of war to aid the Druchii in battle. These Feral Medusae make for unreliable allies however, as they pay no heed to orders and seek only to share their mortal torment with their luckless victims.

Bloodwrack Shrine
When Morathi calls for a military campaign, she has her servants capture feral Medusae and chain them to great Shrines of Atharti (the goddess who transformed them in the first place). These shrines are propelled by magic to the Vanguard of her armies.

The very gaze of the Madusae is deadly and if anyone should meet that gaze, even for the briefest of moments, their blood will boil and spill out of every pore in their body, reducing the person to little more than a puddle of blood and heap of gore.

Manflayers
Mengil Manhide's Manflayers arm themselves with Greatswords and Repeater crossbows. They prefer to maim and cripple rather than outright kill, for they will often stop in the heat of battle to acquire new trophies; flaying the dead and the dying they leave in their wake. They march into battle under a banner that is enchanted, creating a nimbus of shadow around Mengil and his warriors, making them near invisible on their approach, by the time their prey catch sight of them, it is already to late.

Implementation into Warhammer 2
they are essentially shades with Great weapons. They have Greatswords, Crossbows, their banner gives them Stalk and they may have Frenzy too. Perhaps better suited to a RoR than a fully fledged unit.

Pagowyrm
A rare species of albino Merwyrms that live in the sea of claws around Naggaroth

Scourgerunner Chariot
These are lighter ranged Chariots who could also serve as Mounts for the High Beastmaster/Mistress Lords.

Sea Dragon
Once, long ago they were true dragons, ridden by the ancestors of the Dark Elves, but down the centuries they have been infused with the evil magics that permeate the Arks. They have mutated, becoming something less than true dragons and yet more.

The Sea Dragons have grown so gigantic that they have lost the power of flight and have to spend their lives afloat to support their own weight. Even so, they remain capable of ripping asunder the biggest ships of other races' fleets.

Let me know what you think and don't be afraid to list something I missed.

Sparkwarrior777 · August 2019

I’m going to guess the medusa’s will be a part of a beast themed lord pack , apart from that they arn’t Lacking anything major , good job by the way , loving these posts.

kelembribor · August 2019

How about Beastlord Rakarth? His "cousin" Hubris is bloodbowl character, adding him would open whole can of worms to be added to other races too.

Bies · August 2019

Only Malus and Beastlord Rakarth work as LL, maybe also Mengil with CA help, rest of them should be included as special characters

Some new units, which can be included with Rakarth, one of such units can be albino Pagowyrm which dwells in the frigid seas of Naggaroth (reskin of merwyrm)
For Malus CA can add dark elf slave soldiers from Naggor (part of Malus story)

Fan3982173917524862 · August 2019

I think the best option would be to include Rakarth as the LL, Beastmasters as the lord option, Dark Master as the hero option and possibly replacing Black Arc lords with the Black Ark fleetmaster retroactively in a FLC update. I think they messed up by making the Kharidbyss a paid unit instead of FLC one, to complete the sea faring side of the Dark Elves as FLC along with Lokhir and the fleetmasters. Beastmasters can focus on buffing Cold ones, Hydras and other beasties in the roster like the nectotect.

As for units, the Medusae and variant with bound spells would be the centerpiece unit of the DLC. Manflayers could be a weak shade version and the scourgerunner could be a good prototype for mobile siege units for the Chaos Dwarf. They can also be used as a mount option, like the doom flayer was for the respective DLC lord.
Overall something very straightforward that we can expect from the DLC and I'm excited for it. They can be paired with the Skaven for a rivalry centered around beasts and monsters.

SakuraHeinz · August 2019

The missing medusae makes Morathi feel so incomplete, I hope we get them if the next Lord is dark elves.

HeresyHound · August 2019

Is there a reason you put a BloodBowl character in there?

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@kelembribor

@FungusHound

Sorry about that, I had the right Lore but the wrong Images. I thought Rakarth was just short for Hubris Rakarth. I knew he was in Bloodbowl but I didn't know he was exclusive to it, i thought they were the same guy.

Wasn't my intent to put a BB character in and I've fixed it.

Draculasaurus · August 2019

Mengil and his Manflayers seem pretty unlikely as they're already in the game as a rogue army.

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@Draculasaurus

Yeah I did notice that.

doesn't make it impossible and I think he could be really useful as a character since he is the only DE lord known to properly work within the old world.

also He will likely have frenzy and either have stalk himself or get that ability Skarsnik has which gives stalk to him and the units around him which would be really cool.

kelembribor21 · August 2019

SeanJeanquoi said:
@kelembribor

@FungusHound

Sorry about that, I had the right Lore but the wrong Images. I thought Rakarth was just short for Hubris Rakarth. I knew he was in Bloodbowl but I didn't know he was exclusive to it, i thought they were the same guy.

Wasn't my intent to put a BB character in and I've fixed it.

I understand it, he is lord from older editions when Malekith didn't had dragon but chariot , i don't recall.

Gw also seems to really like that name for Dark Elves, even Great Haemonculi Urien of Dark Eldar shares name Rakarth.

Sparkwarrior777 · August 2019

I WANT SEA DRAGON AND MERWYRM

Bies · August 2019

Sparkwarrior777 said:
I WANT SEA DRAGON AND MERWYRM

+1 for sea dragon

they can use animations based on sea lions

Iokko · August 2019

I'm really torn on which generic character I'd rather have... I feel like black akrs being lead by fleetmasters rather than generic lords would be thematically super cool, though i can't really think of anything super unique about them, in terms of playstyle and battlefield role.

A beastmaster however would clearly focus on monster heavy armies, he might be anti large, he would probably get the scourgerunner chariot as a mount, as well as some good support abilities, so he sounds super cool too.

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@Iokko

The Fleetmaster would become a Corsair lord like Lokhir, making him more of a DPS choice than a **** hybrid.

I think that all of the factions aside from Ikit are lacking some depth in their Campaign mechanics and gameplay. With the Inclusion of the Fleetmaster they could expand upon the Black Arks mechanically. Example:

-Allow us to engage in a raid stance in enemy waters (perhaps bring back trade routes so we can sit on them like in Shogun)

-allow us to attack coastal cities

-Create unique maps for engaging a Black Ark in a sea battle that takes place on the Ark.

-Add some extra units for the Druchii navy since that's a big part of their faction

Where my Druchii Reaver girls at?

Some factions like the Greenskins have subfactions or themes in their roster that should be expanded upon (Greenskins have their forest Goblins/Jungle Orcs, Savage Orcs, Night Goblins Etc). For the Dark Elves, the Area they could expand upon should defo be the Navy.

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

This is a dumb little nitpick too but, why have they ignored their Japanese esc Hairstyles in game? the executioners are bald and most everyone else wears a helmet (very similar helmets). Id like their aesthetics expanded upon in general, even in this basic way.

Bies · August 2019

SeanJeanquoi said:
@Iokko

The Fleetmaster would become a Corsair lord like Lokhir, making him more of a DPS choice than a **** hybrid.

I think that all of the factions aside from Ikit are lacking some depth in their Campaign mechanics and gameplay. With the Inclusion of the Fleetmaster they could expand upon the Black Arks mechanically. Example:

-Allow us to engage in a raid stance in enemy waters (perhaps bring back trade routes so we can sit on them like in Shogun)

-allow us to attack coastal cities

-Create unique maps for engaging a Black Ark in a sea battle that takes place on the Ark.

-Add some extra units for the Druchii navy since that's a big part of their faction

Where my Druchii Reaver girls at?

Some factions like the Greenskins have subfactions or themes in their roster that should be expanded upon (Greenskins have their forest Goblins/Jungle Orcs, Savage Orcs, Night Goblins Etc). For the Dark Elves, the Area they could expand upon should defo be the Navy.

its only one Laithikir Fellheart - an ambitious she-elf who learnt to secretly follow High Elven merchants ships with shrouds of magic, allowing her to chart raiding maps which led to the distant lands of Ind and Cathay.

Bies · August 2019

Iokko said:
I'm really torn on which generic character I'd rather have... I feel like black akrs being lead by fleetmasters rather than generic lords would be thematically super cool, though i can't really think of anything super unique about them, in terms of playstyle and battlefield role.

A beastmaster however would clearly focus on monster heavy armies, he might be anti large, he would probably get the scourgerunner chariot as a mount, as well as some good support abilities, so he sounds super cool too.

it would shock me if we would get fleetmaster instead of beastmaster
they had their chance with lokhir

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@Bies

shes not where I got that art piece and I've not seen it stated that Laithikir is the Only woman to ever be a corsair or a reaver or even a Fleetmaster. She would make a great (though obscure AF) Fleetmaster Lord Choice but ive not seen anything saying that she is the only one of anything (the Druchii are all about having men and woman be equally distributed in the army and power structure. maybe not out of good will but thats how it works).

I'm not saying we should get a Fleetmaster rather than a Beastmaster/Mistress. a Beast focused lord is top priority right now for the DE and a Fleetmaster/expansion of their navy would be a FLC thing or something that would come with a big update later on (like we've seen for game 1 races).

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@Bies

don't let Lokhir's inclusion write off the possibility of future inclusions. anything can happen and Lokhir was a no brainer lord they could throw in to diversify the DE start positions. Just because they didn't at the time, doesn't mean they wont and definitely doesn't mean they shouldn't (remember we potentially have an influence on what they do as well. if there is discourse around it and a hunger for it).

yolordmcswag · August 2019

Just a few nitpicks; The miniature you have for shadowblade is just a generic assassin, shadowblade has both and old and a new miniature unique to just him. Second nitpick; Kouran Darkhand wields a halberd, not a sword. He never had an official miniature, but the one in the picture is just a generic black guard champion.

Sparkwarrior777 said:
I’m going to guess the medusa’s will be a part of a beast themed lord pack , apart from that they arn’t Lacking anything major , good job by the way , loving these posts.

Medusae are not beasts in warhammer. They used to be elven sorceresses, but were cursed by Atharthi to become what they are today.

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@yolordmcswag

Kouran, if you read his lore, he is proficient with a sword and a Halberd. I put the pic of a Black Guard champ in there because I couldn't find a picture of His model that wasn't either a really small picture or a model that wasn't properly painted (which I hate). He is THE Black Guard champ and the champ looks like how he is supposed to without a helmet so I figured it was appropriate.

Medusae have been transformed into beasts and their lore sates spacifically that: "Even this punishment she deemed insufficient, and so she reduced their minds to be little more than those of beasts. Atharti left only one sliver of awareness to her victims, enough that they might always remember with torment the beauty and power they had once possessed"

Their entire blurb states that they have lairs, they need to be captured and caged up to be used, and on the battlefield they are truely feral. although it is implied that they still have some form of agency. I covered all this in my little description. Its entirely possible that im wrong about this and Id be happy to change it, if you have a source to the contrary.

I picked that model for shadowblade because it has the skull on his bandana and looks the most like his art. Again, like with all the pictures: trying to find one that matches the art, one that communicates the best to people and trying to find one that is large enough to be manipulated are the biggest factors for what I put in.

Is he either of these?

Thanks for the feedback at any rate.

yolordmcswag · August 2019

SeanJeanquoi said:
@yolordmcswag

Kouran, if you read his lore, he is proficient with a sword and a Halberd. I put the pic of a Black Guard champ in there because I couldn't find a picture of His model that wasn't either a really small picture or a model that wasn't properly painted (which I hate). He is THE Black Guard champ and the champ looks like how he is supposed to without a helmet so I figured it was appropriate.

Medusae have been transformed into beasts and their lore sates spacifically that: "Even this punishment she deemed insufficient, and so she reduced their minds to be little more than those of beasts. Atharti left only one sliver of awareness to her victims, enough that they might always remember with torment the beauty and power they had once possessed"

Their entire blurb states that they have lairs, they need to be captured and caged up to be used, and on the battlefield they are truely feral. although it is implied that they still have some form of agency. I covered all this in my little description. Its entirely possible that im wrong about this and Id be happy to change it, if you have a source to the contrary.

I picked that model for shadowblade because it has the skull on his bandana and looks the most like his art. Again, like with all the pictures: trying to find one that matches the art, one that communicates the best to people and trying to find one that is large enough to be manipulated are the biggest factors for what I put in.

Is he either of these?

Thanks for the feedback at any rate.

Those models are both shadowblade, with the bottom one being the most recent one from 8th edition. The model in your post was just a generic assassin model from 7th edition.

About Kouran's weapon, he carries a magical halberd called Crimson Death, described like this in the dark elf armybook "This huge halberd was carried by the dark lord Khalak of Ghrond, the first captain of the black guard. Each captain since has pried it out of his predeccessor's dead hands". This Halberd is one of his unique items and certainly his main weapon. However, neither Kouran nor Tullaris ever had an official model, so any model you find of them will be conversions.

About the medusae, you are right, I concede.

Bies · August 2019

SeanJeanquoi said:
@Bies

shes not where I got that art piece and I've not seen it stated that Laithikir is the Only woman to ever be a corsair or a reaver or even a Fleetmaster. She would make a great (though obscure AF) Fleetmaster Lord Choice but ive not seen anything saying that she is the only one of anything (the Druchii are all about having men and woman be equally distributed in the army and power structure. maybe not out of good will but thats how it works).

I'm not saying we should get a Fleetmaster rather than a Beastmaster/Mistress. a Beast focused lord is top priority right now for the DE and a Fleetmaster/expansion of their navy would be a FLC thing or something that would come with a big update later on (like we've seen for game 1 races).

the one who we known to exist

, ofcourse its should be more of them

tzurugby · August 2019

Love this!! Thank you!!

SeanJeanquoi · August 2019

@yolordmcswag

Changed shadowblade, thanks for the heads up.

as for kouran, i wasnt refuting the idea that he was mainly a halberd guy, i was saying that his lore says hes just as proficient with a sword which kind of lends itself to me using that model. if he has no real model, im not sure what you would have me do.

Wyvax · August 2019

I'm a big advocate of secondary LLs for factions and hope to see more of them in the game series down the line. Kouran Darkhand and Tullaris Dreadbringer are perfect examples of these sort of lieutenant grade lords. The former is Malekith's only truly loyal commander, the latter being the #1 disciple of the Blood Queen and chosen of Khaine. They'd make fantastic FLC lords for Naggarond and Har Ganeth respectively.

Canuovea · September 2019

So very little missing. That's nice to know.

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