Dark Elves are a race touched by magic, and they are the ultimate masters of Dark Sorcery. Thus the armoury of the Witch King is filled with many blades woven with dire curses and black suits of armour ensorcelled with spells of resistance and protection. On the following pages are magic items available to Dark Elf armies. These can be taken in addition to any of the magic items listed in the Warhammer rulebook.
Magic Weapons
The Hydra Blade was carved from a single fang of Akholrak, first and greatest of the War Hydras broken to Malekith's service, and like its many-headed namesake, its keen edge strikes repeatedly against its foes. Though Akholrak is dead now, torn asunder long ago by the talons of the great Caledorian Dragon Incalamir, its malice lives on within this gnarled and twisted sword. Only those of iron will can hope to dominate the Hydra Blade, for it is imbued with an echo of Akholrak's malice and is little inclined to suffer the commands of another. Most wielders discover the blade's wilfulness more than offset by its alacrity, but more than a few have perished needlessly in encounters where skill would have served them far better than speed. The Hydra Blade strikes repeatedly, like its many-headed namesake.
The wielder of the Hydra Blade has the Random Attacks (D6) special rule in addition to their normal attacks.
When Malekith obliterated the northern citadel of Har Kaldra, he offered neither warning nor quarter. The iron-clad fortress was blasted to rime-scarred splinters with a single cataclysmic spell. Ever after, the freezing north wind has wailed with the agonised voices of those who perished that day, and its chill grasp can be held at bay by neither fur nor fiame. It was from scattered shards of Har Kaldra that the Chillblade was forged. This sword holds a terrible spell of coldness that seeps into the Dark Elf's victim. Its merest touch freezes not only the physical body but also the soul within, leaving the victim paralysed and easy prey for his attacker's next strike.
Attacks made with the Chillblade wound automatically and have the Ice Attacks special rule. For each unsaved Wound suffered from the Chillblade, the target suffers -1 to its Attacks characteristic until the end of this Close Combat phase.
Magic Armour
It is claimed that anyone wearing this armour cannot die, sustained by its magical energy. Unfortunately, they cannot remove the armour and are slowly driven insane by its magic.
Heavy armour. The wearer gains +1 Toughness and +1 Wound. However, they also become subject to Stupidity (if mounted on a Cold One, they must re-roll successful Stupidity tests).
Talismans
Carved from the tortured heartstone of a mountain drenched in Dark Magic, the Black Amulet is a lustrous polished stone of midnight hue. It is engraved with a single glowing rune, and into its ebony facets have been poured all the captured malice and spite that emanates from the chill lands of Naggaroth. To behold its darksome shape is to see despair made physical, it is to abandon even the merest memory of hope.
The wearer of the Black Amulet has a Ward Save (4+). Furthermore, each time the bearer of the Black Amulet makes a successful Ward save while fighting in a challenge, the Black Amulet inflicts one Wound which Ignores Armour Saves on the bearer's opponent.
Hotek was an outcast priest of Vaul. It was he who forged Malekith's rune-etched armour, and he also oversaw the creation of many of the Witch King's most terrible weapons. Renegade and turncoat though he was, Hotek was no fool. He knew that he lived only at Malekith's fickle pleasure, and so created for himself an armoury of defences - both magical and physical - with which he hoped to blunt the Witch King's wrath long enough to escape. Ultimately, Hotek did not perish at Malekith's hands, but was poisoned at Morathi's order. His armoury was broken up soon after, the scattered pieces changing hands with the ebb and flow of patronage and power. None of the artefacts have known as many masters as the Ring of Hotek, for this trinket of obsidian and black diamond is claimed to be the renegade priest's greatest work.
The bearer has the Magic Resistance (3) special rule. Any enemy Wizard that attempts to cast or target a spell on a unit within 6" of the bearer will suffer a miscast on a roll of double 6, as well as double 1.
Arcane Items
Many Dark Elves feel that a misfortune shared is, if not exactly a misfortune halved, then at least one in which they can take a certain malignant (and possibly posthumous) glee. Such was the goal behind the creation of the Gem of Spite. It was fashioned during a rare civil war in Ghrond, when sorceress fought sorceress in an attempt to claim a place at Morathi's right hand. The Gem of Spite still turns up from time to time, normally in the possession of one who has fallen from the Hag Sorceress' favour.
Whenever the bearer suffers a Miscast, the Gem of Spite inflicts a single Strength 6 hit on every enemy Wizard within 24". Each time a Wound is caused by the Gem of Spite, your opponent can discard a dice from their dispel pool. If they do so, the Wound is negated and has no effect.
This dagger is a tiny splinter of the cruel weapon wielded by Hekarti, Goddess of Dark Magic. It was shivered from her blade during a failed attempt to sacrifice her sister, Atharti, to an older and darker power than she. The shard was flung far and came to rest in the caverns beneath Ghrond. Here, amongst the bleached bones and rubble, it was discovered by Khaeleth the Sorceress. She claimed the dagger as her own and learned how to unlock its power to transmute the soul-essence of living creatures into a raw and hungry magic. So began Khaeleth's rise to the foremost seat of power within the Dark Convent of Ghrond, an elevation marked by blood sacrifice and the darkest of sorceries. Bound with enchantments of bloodletting and spiritbinding, the sacrificial dagger is used to leech the life force from its victims and channel it into raw magic.
Once per casting attempt, after the casting dice are rolled but before a dispel attempt is made, the bearer of this magic item can sacrifice one model in her unit. Choose which model is sacrificed - it is immediately removed as a casualty with no saves of any kind allowed - then roll a D6. On a 4+, the Sorceress gains an extra power dice that must be rolled and added to the casting result; dispel attempts can now be made and the spell resolved. This can be used to allow the Wizard to use more dice than is normally allowed by their Wizard level. On a roll of 3 or less, the sacrifice has not generated enough power - you can either immediately sacrifice another model from the unit and roll again, following the procedure above, or accept the original casting result (if the bearer is the only model remaining in the unit, no further sacrifices can be attempted).
Enchanted Items
Woven from the hair of innocents and dyed with the blood of sorcerers, the Cloak of Twilight is all but invisible to the mortal eye. The cloak has served many masters well across the long centuries. It was this garb that allowed Morathi to keep a close watch on the Phoenix Court of Bel Shanaar even from Nagarythe. Centuries later, it had passed from the Hag Sorceress' hands and became the tool that allowed the Master Assassin, Venomblade, to stalk the blood-slicked streets of Tor Elyr as he visited his Night of Screaming Death upon the folk of that great city. Ownership of the Cloak of Twilight guarantees an ambitious Dark Elf the success he craves, but is not without risk. However determined its wearer, there is always a more ruthless pretender, his mind set to steal the cloak's power for his own.
The wearer of the Cloak of Twilight has a Ward Save (3+) against Wounds caused by enemy shooting attacks and spells.
In Ulthuan, the egg of a Dragon is sacred, and harsh punishment awaits any who endanger or disturb a Dragon nest. In Naggaroth, a Dragon egg is naught but a potential source of power, and their nests nothing but cradles to nurture that power. So it is that for every Black Dragon Egg that develops into a hatchling, countless dozens more are taken and consumed, so that their devourers might take a portion of the eggs' strength as their own. When eaten, the properties of the Dragon are temporarily passed on.
One use only. The bearer may consume this item at the start of any player turn. For the rest of that turn, the consumer has Strength and Toughness 6, and the Noxious Breath special rule.
Magic Standards
During the Sundering, many of Nagarythe's treasures were lost in battle or destroyed by natural disaster. Those that remained were greedily seized upon by nobles of both allegiances. Some fell into the hands of the Aesanar, who hid them away from Malekith's forces, but the most important were taken by the Dark Elves. The Banner of Nagarythe is the greatest of all such treasures, woven through with silver thread and inlaid with pearls and diamonds. For the Dark Elves, the Banner of Nagarythe is a physical reminder of the injustices heaped upon them by the Phoenix Throne. Moreover, it is the personal standard of the Witch King and proclaims his right to rule not only Naggaroth, but the ten kingdoms of Ulthuan as well. For their part, the Shadow Warriors of Nagarythe deem this banner too mired in corruption and betrayal to any longer have any wholesome purpose. They seek not its return, but its destruction.
All friendly models with the Murderous Prowess special rule within 12" of this banner gain the Hatred special rule. Against High Elves, they instead gain the Eternal Hatred special rule.
Just the sight of the grim standard of the Har Ganeth Executioners can strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. This is the first and only banner the Executioners have had. It has never been captured in battle and is now several thousand years old. The banner depicts Khaine in his executioner's aspect, with the crossed axes of the Har Ganeth Executioners in the background. The rune is a corrupted version of the High Elf rune Thalia, which signifies hatred or vengeance.
Har Ganeth Executioner unit only. The unit carrying this banner causes Terror.
The Blood Banner is a horrific sight which constantly oozes blood and fills the air around it with a charnel house stink. The sight and smell of the Blood Banner has worked the Cold Ones into a frothing frenzy before the battle starts.
A unit of Cold One Knights that has the Blood Banner may ignore the effects of the Cold One’s Stupidity for the entire battle.