How do you beat the dwarves as Malekith?

[Veg]

I've tried everything I could, I just can't beat them. Grombrindal and the dwarven heroes are OP, nearly unkillable and easily beat Malekith and your heroes (and infantry). Their units also seem to be vastly superior to the DE starting units. Dreadspears and darkshards, darkshard spam, shades (for a frontline) and darkshards - nothing works.

They were not a problem for me before the recent rework, it was Valkia who was the main danger (and I could beat her with darkshard spam). It seems there's a serious balance issue here

[DarkFenix]

Shoot them. Stop trying to swarm melee-specialised heroes with infantry and expecting results, instead focus the fire from multiple ranged units on them and watch them melt (unless they're called Malagor, but he's a whole ocean away from Emo-Canada).

Just field a properly balanced army with infantry to tarpit and darkshards/shades to kill, then actually have your ranged shoot at the right targets.

[Fryskar]

Darkshards work pretty well vs dwarfs.
You should add informations, like army comp of both sides (best a screen).

Grombrindal is a decent fighter, but not really a monster early on.

Shades aren't a frontline unit.

[Veg]

Originally posted by Fryskar:

Darkshards work pretty well vs dwarfs.
You should add informations, like army comp of both sides (best a screen).

Grombrindal is a decent fighter, but not really a monster early on.

Shades aren't a frontline unit.

Finally managed to win this, but it was extremely tough, I still was very close to defeat.

I had 6 dreadspears and 1 black guard (that you have in your starting army) as a frontline, and 10 darkshards in the checkerboard formation. Unfortunately, I can't make out how to add a screenshot

[ik vind geschiedenis leuk]

the dark elf most suited for combat against non-elves is lokhir, so you just have to copy that style: ark bombardments, kiting handbow corsairs, steering the war toward low-tier engagements (in which virtually everyone has the upper hand against dwarves). artillery is one of the few thing your cavalry works against, and you can defeat the slow heavy dwarfs with mobile anti-armor ranged.

[KoboldUtopian]

Darkshards will melt them. Use Malekith and a hero or two to pin them down and shoot them. Cavalry to swing around behind and take out Their artillery and mess them about so they turn around and stay away from your darkshards.

[Fryskar]

Originally posted by ik vind geschiedenis leuk:

the dark elf most suited for combat against non-elves is lokhir, so you just have to copy that style: ark bombardments, kiting handbow corsairs, steering the war toward low-tier engagements (in which virtually everyone has the upper hand against dwarves). artillery is one of the few thing your cavalry works against, and you can defeat the slow heavy dwarfs with mobile anti-armor ranged.

I'd skip handbows, double so vs dwarfs as poor Ap and low range will hurt them.
I wouldn't consider the playstile anti non HE either.
Using black arks is common sense. I don't really see how you want to enforce a low tier fight either, you mean swarm them?

[Veg]

What should the optimal early game army composition for Malekith be like, in your opinion?

[Shellbie]

The dark elves are the counter to heavily armored factions like the Dawi and Lizardmen.

[KoboldUtopian]

Originally posted by Veg:

What should the optimal early game army composition for Malekith be like, in your opinion?

darkshards

[Veg]

Originally posted by CoerciveUtopian:

Originally posted by Veg:

What should the optimal early game army composition for Malekith be like, in your opinion?

darkshards

Like, 19 of them?

[KoboldUtopian]

Originally posted by Veg:

Originally posted by CoerciveUtopian:

darkshards

Like, 19 of them?

Could certainly work if you spread them out a bit so they can't all get hit at once. It's been a bit since I played DE. For early game, maybe more like 10-12, as many heroes as you can get, 5 spears, and 1-2 fast units to get their ranged and mess them around.

[Apollyon]

I recently played a Malekith campaign myself on VH, you should have no issue with the Dwarves. Darkshards with shields absolutely pulverize all of their heavy armor units, your frontline should be dreadspears to hold the line with Malekith and the Sorceress spamming high damage spells to obliterate any high threat units.

[badger vortex]

there's tons of armour piercing units for dark elves, dwarf armies are one of the easier opponents you can face. the fact you get darkshards so early that you can protect easily enough with spears, means you have an strong army that will carry you to the midgame

[Talilover]

Why are you using shades, the ranged unit with stalk, as a frontline lol

Ngl compared to Valkia or Alith Anar the dwarves are a total non issue, darkshards are probably the strongest tier 1 ranged unit in the game and a direct counter to slow armored units.

Speaking of which you don't even NEED to try and outfrontline the dwarves (possible to hold them in place with dreadspears long enough for sure) just walk around them lmao

[Farsha]

I mean Dark Elves are perfect counter to Dwarfs.
You have cheap early access to armor piercing missile units and just melt dwarfs in matter of seconds....
Why do you think 8/10 times Grombrindal dies super early in IE campaigns... Cause Malekith!