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High Elf Realms · 140 points
Are High Elf Shadow Warriors good?
High Elf Shadow Warriors are middle-of-the-pack shooters, 15th of 29 at short range in my tests. What they bring is Scouts and skirmishing, not raw damage.
Quick answer: it depends what you point High Elf Shadow Warriors at
- Role
- Scouting skirmishers with useful fire into light infantry
- Good against
- Skirmishing Empire Archers (3.3, 11th): best ranking
- Struggles against
- Knights of the Realm (1.2, 17th), Ironbreakers (0.8, 14th), Empire State Troops (3.3, 16th), Skaven Dregs (4.4, 14th), Rat Ogres (1.8, 20th)
- Range
- Loses some damage at range (70% kept)
Scouting skirmishers with useful fire into light infantry is the job High Elf Shadow Warriors did best in my testing, and it is the yardstick I would judge them by, rather than their 15th-of-29 overall average.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 240 volleys with High Elf Shadow Warriors: ten fresh volleys at each of six targets, at both long and short range, standing still and again after moving. Those main volleys were part of the 4,080 I ran across 29 shooting units, and these were the High Elf Shadow Warriors results.
Treat my High Elf Shadow Warriors results as evidence rather than gospel: I strip out terrain, magic, characters and an opponent’s choices so the unit’s own performance shows through. With ten volleys per result, High Elf Shadow Warriors (2.5) and Wolves of the Sea Berserkers (2.5) finished level at short range, so I would not read anything into their order. Read the High Elf Shadow Warriors results as a guide to roles and matchups rather than a forecast.
My verdict
In my opinion Shadow Warriors earn their points through deployment and board control rather than volleys. They did 4.4 wounds into Dregs at short range but only 0.8 into Ironbreakers.
Best and worst targets for High Elf Shadow Warriors
High Elf Shadow Warriors by target. Ranks out of 29. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Long | Rank | Short | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.0 | 17th | 1.2 | 17th |
| Ironbreakers | 0.8 | 11th | 0.8 | 14th |
| Empire State Troops | 2.2 | 14th | 3.3 | 16th |
| Skaven Dregs | 2.9 | 15th | 4.4 | 14th |
| Rat Ogres | 1.5 | 16th | 1.8 | 20th |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 1.9 | 11th | 3.3 | 11th |
Range and armour
At long range High Elf Shadow Warriors kept 70% of their short-range damage. Their best long-range target was Skaven Dregs (2.9).
Against my two heavily armoured targets, Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, High Elf Shadow Warriors averaged 1.0 wounds at short range. That puts them 16th of 29 for cracking armour.
Rules that shaped these numbers
- Shadow Warriors are Scouts and Skirmishers, and their longbows have Armour Bane (1).
Do High Elf Shadow Warriors lose damage after moving?
I fired the same High Elf Shadow Warriors volleys again after a legal move to the same firing position. Standing still, High Elf Shadow Warriors averaged 2.5 wounds at short range; after moving, 1.9. At long range the figures were 1.7 standing still and 1.6 after moving.
High Elf Shadow Warriors, standing still vs after moving. Mean wounds per volley. n = 10 volleys per cell
| Target | Short, still | Short, moved | Long, still | Long, moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knights of the Realm | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| Ironbreakers | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| Empire State Troops | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Skaven Dregs | 4.4 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
| Rat Ogres | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Skirmishing Empire Archers | 3.3 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
How I set up the test
I fielded 10 Shadow Warriors with longbows (140 points), and all 10 models could shoot in every matchup. My method page has the full setup.
How do they compare?
Other High Elf Realms shooters
- High Elf Archers140 pts · 2.9 avg short, 1.9 avg long
- Sisters of Avelorn150 pts · 3.2 avg short, 2.1 avg long
Similar overall damage
- Wolves of the Sea BerserkersWarriors of Chaos · 2.5 avg short
- Wood Elf WaywatchersWood Elf Realms · 2.4 avg short
- Wood Elf Glade GuardWood Elf Realms · 2.3 avg short
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use High Elf Shadow Warriors for scouting forward and thinning light infantry, and not for damage into armour, to get the most out of them on the battlefield.
FAQs
What are High Elf Shadow Warriors best at shooting?
Skaven Dregs: High Elf Shadow Warriors did 4.4 wounds per short-range volley against them in my tests. Their lowest number was against Ironbreakers, at 0.8.
Are High Elf Shadow Warriors better at long or short range?
Short range. High Elf Shadow Warriors kept 70% of their short-range damage at long range, 13th of 29 for holding up at range. High Elf Shadow Warriors averaged 1.7 wounds at long range against 2.5 at short range.
Are High Elf Shadow Warriors good against armour?
Against Knights of the Realm and Ironbreakers, High Elf Shadow Warriors averaged 1.0 wounds per short-range volley, 16th of the 29 units I tested.