Talk:Dark Elf/@comment-85.71.80.131-20150404103901

Dark Elves are very powerful (strongest) spellcaster race. No other race have so great acces to magic upgrades as Dark Elves. Not only mana regeneration and spellcasting upgrades for your hero, but so upgrades which add max mana for (ALL) your spellcasting units and upgrades for spellcaster dmg.

Dark Elves have solid defence as well. Theirs fire towers prevents from piercing resistant units rush. Altars boost DE defence even better (and relatively cheap). Dark riders with their bonus against heroes are great menace for enemy heroes in begining (especialy for fragile spellcasters or low level heroes) and can be used for basic map control.

Some say that Dark elves have problems due absence of "tanks"units. I don't feel this as problem. Dark Elf sorcerors and Spider priestess are answer. This two unit can smash everything in their path (from charing knight to dragons and titans alike). Spider priestess make excelent first line before spellcasters due to shorter range. They can summon spiders as meat shield and even if meele reached them, they still serve as great wall for your sorcerors due to their after the death spider surprise. Fully upgraded sorceror can cast pillar of fire twice in row so you can imagine how will end charge of knights into your spellcasters line. Spellcasters have only one counter - siege weapons (catapults, balistaes and arguably dark dwafs cannons). This problem can be solved by Summoner and his aerial minions.

In later game upgraded Assassins can be used as great meatshield too (they are relatively cheap and with Death rune skill they can take some dmg pretty well).

In my opinion, best hero for DE player is DE Summoner - maybe HE summoner/archmage can be better (if you get over the loss of bonus points in Summoning magic and acces to Death rune for better assassin). HE summoner offer Healing magic, which is great alone, and Energy skill which can be usefull too. Otherwise Summoning quasits (into mines) can greatly improve your economy (with ancient wisps = great combo), while Eye of orocs are great for scouting. Phantom spell is great for your cavaltry. DE have somehow weak aerial units (phoenix, harpy) so in this case summoning magic give answer - imps, succubi and daemons - while combined together with DE spellcasters, you will have fearsome force of destruction.