The Dark Elves are back in Blood Bowl 3 and remain one of the top teams in the game. With their incredible agility combined with hitting power and resilience, they are one of the very best defensive teams in the game. The Dark Elves have some of the most interesting and versatile positional players in Blood Bowl too, from the bloodthirsty Witch Elves, to the sinister Assassins.
In this guide, we’re going to tell you how to build, develop, and skill your Dark Elves, and the best strategies to use to get the most from this highly varied team.
Starting Team Build
- 4 x Blitzers
- 1 x Runner
- 6 x Linemen
- 2 x Team Re-rolls
Despite their many different positionals, cost, and efficiency means your starting rosters will have to look a little humble. By far the simplest and most effective way to start Dark Elves is to take the four Blitzers. These are arguably one of the best players in the game and can do everything and anything the team needs on both sides of the ball.
The Runner is a dedicated ball carrier who has lower armor than the rest of the team but adds offensive mobility. He can also be one of the best ways to add re-rolls to the team by taking the Leader skill.
Dark Elf Linemen are extremely solid players who can be developed in many useful ways into impactful players in their own right. You can only fit 2 Team Re-rolls in this build, and there is no room to buy more Dedicated Fans. If you want to change this build-up a little, you can drop the Runner for a Lineman and swap a Blitzer for a Witch Elf. You could also drop the Runner for a Lineman and use the remaining money on Dedicated Fans.
Team Development
Your main priority with Dark Elves will be to buy the third Team Re-roll. After that the Apothecary, and after that, fill out your maximum number of Blitzers and Witch Elves. You should ultimately aim to have around thirteen or fourteen players on the roster. In time, a fourth Team Re-roll is well worth considering.
The Assassins are fun, but very specialized players, who are entirely optional for Dark Elf teams. They can be very useful against the right kind of low-armor opponents, but they are also quite vulnerable themselves, and not cheap.
Best Skills
Below are the best starting skills for your Dark Elves. Secondary choices are shown in italics. Dark Elves are uniquely blessed in that they have so many players who can take the combination of Block and Dodge, or “Blodge“, very easily. This is one of the most powerful combos in Blood Bowl and gives both great offensive and defensive utility.
|
Player |
Skill |
|---|---|
|
Blitzers |
Dodge, Tackle, Mighty Blow, Guard, Sidestep, Diving Tackle |
|
Witch Elves |
Block or Wrestle, Tackle, Sidestep, Mighty Blow, Juggernaut |
|
Runners |
Leader, Sure Hands, Dodge, Block, Accurate, Pass |
|
Assassins |
Dodge, Block, Sidestep, Diving Tackle |
|
Linemen |
Block or Wrestle, Dodge, Sidestep, Guard |
Strategies
Dark Elves’ ability to both dodge away from opponents and go toe-to-toe with them makes them one of the most versatile teams in the game. Defensively, you can keep opponents at arms’ length and frustrate them by dodging away and making two-deep screens. This will limit them to very few blocks against you and restrict their progress down the field. If the game becomes about trading Blitz actions you have a good chance to win the war of attrition against many teams.
When the time is right, you can pile players in and put pressure on your opponent, or go for the ball using your agility to find opportunities to penetrate cages or outmaneuver screens.
On offense you should resist the temptation to pursue a passing attack, and instead play a loose, running screen, using your Blitzers to punch holes in opposing defenses. When you do make a significant gap, you can easily flood multiple players by using your agility. Once you have Witch Elves, their Frenzy skill can make this even easier by pushing defenders multiple squares. This same skill can also make Dark Elves a serious danger to opponents when a play comes anywhere near the sideline, as you have many ways to threaten a push into the crowd.
