Meet the Elf
The Elf is the only core hero besides the Wizard who casts spells. They fight like the Dwarf, with 2 attack dice from a Shortsword and 2 defend dice, but have fewer Body Points (6) and more Mind Points (4). At the start of each quest the Elf gets one school of three spells, and each of those spells can be cast once that quest.
That's the whole of the Elf's rules. There's no built-in bow, no archery bonus and no extra searching skill. Ranged attacks come from equipment, not from being an Elf.
Starting Stats
| Stat | Elf | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 2 dice | From the Shortsword. |
| Defend | 2 dice | Every white shield blocks one hit. |
| Body Points | 6 | Third of the four. Take care in long fights. |
| Mind Points | 4 | Wisdom and resistance to magic. Not a spell budget: casting doesn't spend Mind Points. |
| Movement | 2 red dice | Same as every hero. |
| Spells | 3 | One school, each spell once per quest. |
The Elf Next to the Other Core Heroes
Choosing a Spell School
There are four hero spell schools, Air, Earth, Fire and Water, with three spells each. Before each quest:
- The Wizard picks one school.
- The Elf picks one of the three left.
- The Wizard takes the last two.
So the Elf always has 3 spells and the Wizard 9. For the first quest the rulebook suggests Fire for the Wizard and Earth for the Elf.
How the Schools Are Shared
Which school suits the Elf?
Using the classic spell names (the 2021 cards may word them differently):
Earth (Heal Body, Rock Skin, Pass Through Rock): healing plus a defense boost. A safe pick, and the rulebook's suggestion.
Water (Water of Healing, Sleep, Veil of Mist): healing plus a way to take a monster out of the fight.
Air (Swift Wind, Tempest, Genie): movement and control.
Fire (Fire of Wrath, Courage, Ball of Flame): damage and an attack boost. Usually the Wizard's.
Whatever the Elf takes, the Wizard gets two of the others, so agree on the split as a party. Make sure someone holds a healing spell. The Magic & Spells page has what each spell does.
Casting: Line of Sight Matters
Casting a spell is your action for the turn, and you need to see the target. A figure is in line of sight if a straight line from the centre of your square to the centre of theirs doesn't cross a wall, a closed door, another hero or another monster. Just touching a corner is fine.
Who Can the Elf See?
Since the Elf fights in melee too, a common turn is to move next to a monster and attack. When you plan to cast instead, stop where you can see the target. That's usually a step to the side, not straight behind the hero in front.
Fighting
In melee the Elf has the Dwarf's numbers: 2 attack dice. That kills a Goblin in one attack 66.7% of the time and an Orc 59.0% of the time. Against monsters with 3 Body Points, two dice can never finish the job in one attack.
Elf and Barbarian, One Attack Each
Monster stats are from the classic 1990 North American chart, which fan sources say the 2021 game follows; your monster cards have the final word.
Six Body Points is where the Elf has to be careful. An Orc (3 attack dice) against 2 defend dice deals 0.96 Body Points per attack on average. The chance it kills the Elf within four attacks is 17.9%, and within six attacks 53.0%. Let the Barbarian and Dwarf take the front squares, and use the Elf to finish monsters they've already hurt.
The Elf in the Party
- Second healer. If the Wizard takes Fire and Air, an Earth or Water Elf is the party's healing.
- Third attacker. On turns with nothing to cast, the Elf's sword is as good as the Dwarf's.
- Mind-heavy defense. With 4 Mind Points, the Elf shrugs off Dread spells better than the fighters.
- Spend spells. Spells come back at the end of the quest, not before, but a spell you never cast does nothing. Use it when it matters, then fight with the sword.
Other Elves
The Mage of the Mirror quest pack (2023) adds an alternate Elf figure, and its first quests send the Elf in alone before the others join. The Rogue from The Rogue Heir of Elethorn is also an elf; see The Rogue. In the rulebook's backstory, Rogar's companion Ladril was an elven fighter-mage from Elethorn.
Try It at the Table
- Before the first quest, discuss the school split with the Wizard's player. Try the suggested Fire/Earth split, then swap the Elf to Water for the second quest and compare.
- Each time the Elf wants to cast, count the squares first and trace the line of sight with a ruler or a card edge.
- Track how many of the Elf's three spells get used per quest. If it's often zero, cast earlier.
Where Next
- The Wizard: the hero who picks spell schools first.
- Magic & Spells: every school and spell.
- Combat & Tactics: line of sight and positioning in more depth.