If you're fielding a High Elf Army and playing a 'friendly' game or a Warhammer tournament that permits special characters you have a tough choice ahead of you if it's a 2000 pt game.
Do you invest almost 25% of your points in one of the greatest mages the world has ever seen ? Let's face it, if he dies it will most probably be curtains for your army. Indeed, if Teclis even enters combat he will probably die.
So, why is this a toughie of a decision ? Well, even though Teclis seems to have 'aged' somewhat in 2007 version of the High Elves army, he remains a top quality character capable of turning a battle.
(note: see my previous post about Teclis in the High Elf thread to see how he's changed).
What makes Teclis so good is the combined magical attributes of items in his footlocker. These provide him with 'almost' cumulative benefits that empower his spellcasting making make him more effective than almost any other mage.
Being able to cast all 6 spells of any lore is a big bonus for your tactical plans. Couple this with +D3 power power/dispel dice and ignoring the first miscast of a turn and you have a reliable, flexible and powerful spellcaster. If you give your army the banner of sorcery then Teclis will, on average, have access to 10 power dice each turn (that's around 4 spells cast with irresistable force !). He will probably be miscating about once every 6 spells (so 5 should be successful as a rough guide)
So those are the pros of taking Teclis, there are sadly a number of cons.
First and foremost is the cost of Teclis. To be worth taking to any battle there are a few things to consider:-
1) Survival - Teclis Must Live !
Teclis really must finish the battle in one piece with at least 2 of his wounds remaining (to ensure you do not surrender any victory points to your enemy).
If he dies the enemy gets 475 pts plus 100 pts because Teclis will be your general in a 2000 pt game.
To ensure this you will need to protect Teclis well. He should be accompanied by a unit capable of providing him with protection from missile fire for the whole duration of a battle, so we could be talking about a unit of 20 or maybe more depending on which enemy you are facing.
This is a 'hidden' points cost to some extent. It ties down at least one unit and makes others respond less freely while they consider the vulnerability of Teclis in their plans.
2) Teclis Must Inflict Woe and Save Souls
To justify his points cost Teclis needs to inflict significant damage on your enemy and/or save your troops from dying/routing and, once more (with emphasis), he must not die !
3) Teclis - Counting the 'Opportunity Cost !'
A phrase that accountants tend to use about what you have to forego in order to have something else.
Teclis has a very high opportunity cost. Let's face it, you could have a full on combat unit (30 white lions with command !) or a
basic Lord on a Moon Dragon or a souped up (100 pt magic items) Lord on a Sun Dragon.
This last point is probably the most difficult to argue against. Teclis will not win you a battle single handedly whereas a Lord on a dragon actually might do !
Summary
I think Teclics is a must include character in any game of 3000 pts or more. In a 2000 pt game I am now very undecided. As always it all depends on which enemy you are facing.
If your enemy expects to see Teclis on the battlefield - don't take him. They will come up with ways of protecting themselves from his powers.
Also, if facing certain armies with sharpshooter type of abilities like Empire Hochland marksmen, be very wary of using Teclis. Or against very fast moving enemies because you need to keep the enemy at a distance from Teclis (preferably 12 inches or the enemy's charge range - whichever is the greater)
I actually fielded Teclis in my last encounter with a 2000 pts Wood Elf Army. I will be telling you about that experience in my next post.
It's late now and time for me to bid you farewell until the next post from my Ulthuan Daily Chronicle.
Image is © Games Workshop Ltd. All rights reserved. Used without permission.
