Dark Elf Runners took a little bit of a knock this edition, having their PA be deemed a 3+, but at MV7 and y’know, being an Elf, they still make for excellent Ball Carriers. Dump Off isn’t quite the get-out-of-jail-free card it used to be now but it was always an emergency skill as opposed to a core feature. You can still lean into it if you wish, but you’ll probably find it doesn’t come up often enough and if your runner is being hit, you’ve got bigger problems anyway!
They still complement the team very well by making sure the Witch Elves and Blitzers are free to do their thing. They score lots as well if you let them, so you’re not going to struggle to give them a decent amount of skills either. Play them properly and you’ll find their AV8+ doesn’t come into play too often so they should live long enough too!
Build List:
Randomised Skills:
Honestly, you could do a lot worse than trying for some cheap Passing skills on this player. You’ll find some use but seeing they’re a Runner as opposed to a dedicated Thrower, it might be best to lean into that.
True Carrier | Dark Elf Runner Build
Primaries: Block, Dodge, Sure Hands, Side-Step, Fend, Nerves of Steel, Leader
Secondaries: Guard
Characteristics: ST/AG/MV
The aim here is to quite simply have a player whose one and only job is the hold onto the ball until you get within, then either running the ball in themselves or handing it off to a nearby Blitzer or Witch Elf to finish the job. Block and Dodge are key here, giving them added protection whilst also giving making that MV7 go a little further as you won’t need to avoid tackle zones as often. Sure Hands is nice to give you that free ReRoll but more importantly will give you protection from Strip Ball.
Side Step is awesome and lets you run down the edges of the pitch without having to worry too much about being surfed unless you get boxed in. You could also go for Fend which prevents the follow-up, so if you get hit by a Tackle player and stay standing, you’ll be able to run away without having ti make a roll. Nerves of Steel gives you an out when bogged down if you do get hit, so your Dump Off remains at a 3+ regardless of how many players are around you. Leader gives you that relatively cheap ReRoll too, a nice bonus!
If you’ve got the SPP, Guard isn’t a bad shout. If you’re scoring with your Runner, then they’ll be flush with SPP so nabbing Guard early on shouldn’t be too much of an investment. As for Characteristics, any out of ST/AG/MV are good here, MV8 in particular is nice to have!
It’s a simple but effective build, one you won’t just see on Dark Elves either. This build is what I’d go for, and I’ll usually only take a single runner.
Thrower | Dark Elf Runner Build
Primaries: Block, Pass, Accurate, Dodge, Nerves of Steel, Leader, On The Ball, Running Pass
Secondaries: Guard
Characteristics: PA/AG
If you’re up for it, you could go for a throwing build. I’d still get Block first anyway, just for protection and so he can contribute to the defence as well if you don’t have a bench to play with. Once you’ve got that, then Pass and Accurate are your next picks, giving you re-rollable Quick Passes on a 2+ and Short Passes on a 3+, so 97.2% and 88.9% respectively (not including the catch). Sadly there’s no longer a way to give +1 to Long Passes and Cannoneer only affects Long Bombs, so if you want to go for long-range throws, then you’ll have to invest in PA2+, or even PA1+.
Nerves of Steel gives you the added benefit of your Dump Offs being 2+ as well. You could also try out Running Pass, it’s not got the most utility but being able to move after Passing with MV7 could work well, either by providing an assist for a 2-Die Block, or marking someone who might threaten the Elf who just caught the ball. On The Ball isn’t a bad shout either later down the line, if only for a little bit of movement outside your turn.
Support Runner | Dark Elf Runner Build
Primaries: Block, Dodge, Side Step, Nerves of Steel, Catch, Defensive
Secondaries: Guard
Characteristics: AG, ST
Dark Elf Runners have premier access to three skill categories, so they have quite a large range of choices when it comes to skills. Usually, you’ll see Dark Elves with the one Runner, but you could build a second to support the first. Alongside the usual affair, I’ve added in Catch and Defensive to this build.
If you’ve made yourself a Ball Carrier with the first Runner, Catch on the Second gives you a nice option for handoffs as well as a target for your Dump Offs, paired with Nerves of Steel it means your Quick Passes are 2+/2+, so fairly safe if your ball carrier is under threat. It gives you a decent target for other passes too, leaving your Blitzers and Witch Elves to create space or knock down threats.
Defensive is nice when you’re up against a wall of Guard and works well with BlodgeStep to limit your opponent’s easy two-die blocks. I actually really like this skill, but it usually takes a backseat against other Agility Skills like Dodge/SideStep, but when used well with good positioning, it’s really frustrating for Guard focused teams when you just turn it off.
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The Dark Elf Runner isn’t quite as flashy as the Blitzers or Witch Elf, but they do a key job and let the rest of the team do their thing. As mentioned, I usually find myself taking just the one, as Elves do tend to get a little bloaty in terms of Team Value and you could probably get some of your Linemen to fill in similar support roles, just without the passing access. Still, I wouldn’t leave home without one or at least consider getting one a few games in!
That’s it for the Dark Elf Runner build! Check out our guides for the Blitzer, Witch Elf, Lineman and Assassin.
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