Warhammer Fantasy 8th advice. DE vs. Skaven + Lizardmen

[Grooke]

So my friends and I have recently gotten back into Warhammer Fantasy Battles. We've decided to stick with 8th edition rules. Our next battle will have me playing 1v2 as Dark Elves against Skaven and Lizardmen.

I feel this will be challenging because the counters to one army don't really work well against the other.

For more details, we are playing at 3000 points (1500 each for the Skaven & Lizards). The Lizardmen player kinda dislikes magic and usually goes heavy infantry, a small unit of cold ones, and whatever monster piqued his interest. The Skaven player, I've never played with/against.

I can deal with the Lizardmen with Executioners and magic (Supreme Sorc with Death for heroes, and Doomfire Warlocks), but I doubt this is enough choice (aside from hero-killing) against Skaven.


So I'm looking for recommendations (both for list creation and on the battlefield) on how to approach this game.


For core choices, I feel like DE usually under perform vs Lizardmen, so I think I should concentrate on Witch Elves and fast cav to butcher and disrupt Skaven. I'm not sure if its really worth it to shoot much at them (low casualties on Saurus, and shooting Skaven ranks seems kinda pointless).

I think a big block of executioners is still really useful to punch through the high T Lizardmen. Hydras are always useful, but I'm on the fence about Bolt throwers.

For rares, I think Doomfires are still a given, and I was curious to try out a Medusa Vs. Lizardmen (but I don't think this game is the time to try it out).

Finally for Lords/Heroes, I was considering switching to Morathi to still have Death spells, and try to get Blade Wind on the side (hits/model spell seem great V Skaven). I'd also like to take Tullaris to give some extra OOOMPH to the Executioners.

Any thoughts?

[divitorobert]

After playing the **** out of these guys in blood bowl I am ****ing pumped to play these guys in the next warhammer game!

[Eldan]

I'm a player from the other side, so to speak. I play Skaven and got my ass handed to me by dark elves for years.

First of all, you may be tempted to bring area attacks to skaven fights. I wouldnt' really. I don't know what your friend brings, but a classical skaven list is 2 or 3 large infantry blocks, weapon teams, heroes and 2-3 monsters and war machines.

You want to concentrate on, more or less in this order, battle standards, wizards, generals, war machines and monsters. If you kill their heroes, skaven are not remotely a match for elves. It may take a bit, due to steadfast, but they will crumble sooner or later.
Do bring some crossbows and bolt throwers. Skaven hate bolt throwers, if their general is riding on a monster or doom bell especially.
Weapon teams deal phenomenal damage, but crumble under the lightest of shooting. If you can maneuver them right, five crossbows on some cavalry will easily kill a weapon team.