High Elves - Characteristics Total War: Warhammer II Guide
Last update: 22 November 2017
The High Elves are a proud race living on the Ulthuan Island, who also own some overseas colonies. They have a highly sophisticated culture, great army and extensive knowledge of magic.
About High Elves
The High Elves have a great army. It consists of skilled archers and good infantry; even the simplest formations can do serious damage on the battlefield. The High Elves also have access to hybrid units, which are as adept at bowing as at swordplay. The cavalry and war chariots aren't half bad either. Their army's supported by magical creatures such as phoenixes, great eagles and - last but not least - powerful dragons.
The high elves are also masters of magic. Their mages can control one of the three domains (High Magic, Life and Light), and the Loremasters of Hoeth have access to various powerful spells from either domain. Additionally, one of their Legendary Lords, Teclis, also commands powerful magic and skills.
The society of the High Elves revolves around courts, and the courts revolve around intrigues. Hence, you will sometimes be informed about some of the events that are happening close to the throne and asked to make a decision. Additionally, during the game, you will earn Influence points, which allow you to manipulate the relations of other nations. The influence can also be used to recruit lords and heroes.
The High Elves have good economy and they can make some good money on trade. Their lords and heroes have skills that can improve the efficiency of trade even more. You don't have to look far for trade partners, too - the humans from the coast of the Southern Lands will be happy to trade, for example. In addition, one particular technology allows you to lift the fog of war from all bodies of water, which effectively lets you to carry out diplomacy with any nation with sea access.
This race has many enemies. Their main enemies are the Dark Elves, led by the rebellious brothers. They will often raid Ulthuan. Apart from them, you can also expect attacks from the worshippers of the Chaos, the Norskan warriors, as well as the Skaven. The relations with the Lizardmen are also far from peaceful. You can trust the humans and dwarves to be your allies.
Available leaders
Just like in the case of any of the above races, the High Elves have two available leaders in the core game. Your choice of Legendary Lord determines the faction-wide bonuses, as well as the initially available units, and the skills that you will be able to use via the Lord. Additionally, they have different starting points, which affects the difficulty level in the beginning. To gain access to the second Legendary Lord during the campaign enter into a confederacy with his faction.
Tyrion (Lothern) - an awe-inspiring warrior who's able to further strengthen himself in battle with various skills and abilities. He can mount the magnificent horse, Malhandhir. You begin the game in Lothern, in southern Ulthuan. The immediate neighbors are mostly other High Elves, which grants Tyrion a pretty peaceful beginning of the campaign. The reduced recruitment time and upkeep will also come in handy (applies for basic units: spearmen, archers and Silver Helm Knights). The initially available units include: the Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower and Flamespyre Phoenix. The bolt thrower can significantly weaken the enemy ranks before they get close enough to engage in melee combat, and the Phoenix is able to cast missiles from air - it's also useful for getting rid of artillery or ranged units.
Teclis (Order of Loremasters) - he's a mighty loremaster who uses spells from different domains (the Winds of Magic aren't required). You begin the game on the southern shores of Lustria. This means you're surrounded with numerous hostile factions of Lizardmen, the Skaven, Dark Elves or Greenskins. The potential allies, on the other hand, are few and far between. The bonus for relations with humans won't come in handy until later in the game. The magic bonuses are much more significant: the recruited mages instantly get 5th experience level and Teclis has more Winds of Magic points during battles. The initially available units include: Hoeth Swordmasters and Frost Phoenix. The Swordmasters are excelent shock troopers. The Frost Phoenix, although unable to attack from a distance, is more effective in melee combat than the Flamespyre Phoenix and also gives a combat penalty to nearby hostile units.