The Umbral Pact
Shadows Obey. Empires Fall.
Lore
Exiled from the Luminari for forbidden magic, the Umbral Pact embraces the shadows. Their Shadow Ships slip unseen through enemy waters, their Mages weave spells of darkness and decay, and their Dragons breathe shadow-fire. They seek not just victory, but the complete annihilation of those who cast them out.
Sub-Factions & Player Colors
While every warband recognizes the overarching sigil of The Umbral Pact, regional kingdoms, ancient holds, and frontier marches march under their own heraldic colors and ancestral standards. In multiplayer matches, each player color represents a distinct historical sub-faction with unique lore and doctrine.
Primary racial banner displayed across battlefield command centers and fortress ramparts.
Sisters of the Abyssal Veil
The Sisters inhabit the shores of a vast, pitch-black subterranean ocean hundreds of fathoms beneath the surface crags. In this lightless abyss, they ride bioluminescent leviathans and harvest the paralyzing secretions of abyssal hydras. In battle, the Sisters project freezing shadows that drop ambient temperatures to sub-zero levels in heartbeats. Enemy warriors find their sword-arms frozen stiff and their lungs seized by icy vapors while assassin darts paralyze high-value targets.
Coven of the Crimson Blade
The Coven maintains the towering obsidian blood altars of Vor-Kresh. Their Bladedancers undergo ruthless trials from childhood, learning that mercy is a fatal weakness and pain is merely a sensation to be channeled into lethality. On the front lines, the Coven delivers the highest alpha-strike burst damage in the world. Unleashing Blade Flurry techniques in a whirlwind of razor-sharp daggers, they decapitate frontline units before the enemy can react, feeding on the terror of their dying foes.
Venom-Tongue Assassins
Nox-Tenebris is a sprawling underground metropolis built inside a colossal stalactite cavern. Its narrow alleys and shadowed catwalks are ruled by the Venom-Tongue guild, whose master apothecaries brew poisons capable of corroding iron or stopping an elephant's heart in seconds. Their assassin teams infiltrate hostile battle lines unnoticed. Rather than engaging in drawn-out melees, they deliver rapid poisoned slashes to vulnerable hamstrings and throat arteries, then vanish back into the shadows to let the lethal venom complete the work.
Imperial House of Malice
The Imperial House of Malice claims absolute dominion over the dark elven realms through sheer terror and Machiavellian ruthlessness. Their colossal palace is adorned with the fossilized bones of vanquished rivals, illuminated by flickering violet witchfire. Their military presence is accompanied by the suffocating Shadow Shroud, which drastically reduces the vision range of opposing forces. Fighting blind inside the dark elven perimeter, enemy troops are easy prey for circling Black Dragons and elite heavy infantry.
Scorpion Cult of Kar-Nath
Beneath the shifting dunes of the southern desert lies the subterranean labyrinth of Kar-Nath. The Cult has domesticated the giant desert scorpions that tunnel through the sandstone, riding them across the surface during freezing desert nights to raid trade caravans. Their raider cavalry excels at hit-and-run tactics. Armed with heavy repeating stinger crossbows firing barbed steel bolts dipped in scorpion neurotoxin, they can puncture heavy plate armor from long range and immobilize entire enemy vanguard columns.
Foundry-Masters of the Iron Abyss
The Foundry-Masters operate the deep subterranean blast furnaces of Mor-Drak, fueled by volcanic coal and enslaved labor. They construct the terrifying Shadow Engines—mobile mechanical ballistas and bolt throwers capable of redeploying rapidly across the field. Unlike cumbersome dwarven siege engines, the Shadow Engines are light, agile, and deadly accurate. They launch massive barbed harpoons connected to iron chains, dragging enemy siege bastions down and impaling whole ranks of infantry in single devastating volleys.
Basilisk Guard of the Toxic Deeps
The Emerald Caverns of Ghyra are choked with phosphorescent toxic moss and nesting eight-legged basilisks. The Basilisk Guard harvests the saliva and gaze-essence of these beasts, embedding enchanted basilisk eye-gems into their armor breastplates and tower shields. In hand-to-hand combat, opponents who look upon the Guard's shields suffer petrifying paralysis, their joints locking like stone as toxic vapors sap their vitality. Backed by heavy scale armor, the Guard forms an immovable frontline anvil.
Slave-Master Syndicate of Gorg-Rath
The Syndicate runs the colossal slave markets and open-cast quarries of Gorg-Rath, where captive prisoners of war are worked until they drop. The Chain Lords treat warfare strictly as an economic acquisition exercise, calculating troop investments against slave capture yields. In field battles, the Syndicate drives vast waves of chained slave auxiliaries ahead of their lines to absorb enemy arrow volleys and trigger defensive traps, allowing the elite Dark Elf formations behind them to strike unhindered.
Pale Shadow Court of the Silver Needle
Constructed from seamless pale limestone and hung with miles of silver silk webbing, the Alabaster Hall is the sanctuary of the Silver Needle. Here, albino dark elven maidens train in the dance of death, wielding needle-thin rapier blades forged from meteorite iron. Their assassins are celebrated for executing impossible missions in plain daylight. Slender, silent, and impossibly fast, they dance through enemy lines untouched, striking the enemy general or high priest through the eyehole of their helmet before vanishing without a sound.
Order of the Obsidian Void
At the bottom of the deepest chasm in Aethermere stands the Monolith of Total Absence—a colossal black stone that absorbs light, sound, and warmth from its surroundings. The Order of the Obsidian Void serves as the high guard of this cosmic tear. Their elite warriors wield jagged swords cleaved from the monolith itself. When the Void strikes, all light flickers out. Their opening charge deletes enemy forward companies in seconds, spreading uncontrollable terror throughout opposing armies.
Heroes
Heroes level up in battle, choosing one of two abilities at levels 3, 6 and 9.
Dune-Reaper Szareth
Mantis-Riding Lancer
Reaper's Snap
The mantis clamps one target between both scythe legs while Szareth plunges the glaive: 350% weapon damage and a 2 second paralysis (1 on heroes).
Kar-Nath's Reaper: a banded desert mantis raised in the catacombs, its raptorial forelegs sharp enough to shear a shield. The scorpion sigil hangs from its saddle as the cult's mark.
- Dune-Reaper Szareth, Mantis-Riding Lancer. Kar-Nath's Reaper: a banded desert mantis raised in the catacombs, its raptorial forelegs sharp enough to shear a shield. The scorpion sigil hangs from its saddle as the cult's mark.
- Matron Blood-Weaver, Hyena-Riding Matron. The Sickle of Vor-Kresh: a silver crescent on a black staff, the coven's harvesting blade. Her hyena wears the dagger glyph on its mask and carries the coven's throne-saddle, the altar made portable.
- Foundry-Master Vile-Spike, Ballista-Walker Engineer. Mor-Drak's Harpoon: a barbed bolt on a chain, as long as the walker itself, loaded on its hazard-striped ballista and reeled in by the brass winch drums.
- Xar-Zor, the Chain-Lord, Chain-Bearing Drider. The Broken Shackle: the open manacle at the end of Xar-Zor's chain, taken from the wrist he wore as a slave before he climbed the syndicate. He swings it on its chain and wraps his foes with the rest.
- Dread-Blade, Captain of the Basilisk Guard, Staring-Shield Knight. The Stone Gaze: a round shield faced with a scaled basilisk head, its slit-pupil eye glowing in the wearer's house colour. Those who look into it too long stop moving.
- Lady Night-Gaze, the Silver Needle, Twin-Rapier Duellist. The Twin Needles of the Alabaster Hall: two rapiers with ring guards, spun from spider-silver, thin enough to slip between the links of mail.
- Sable, First Veilkeeper, Siren of the Drowning Lure. A chilling, aristocratic sorceress who manipulates acoustic void vibrations and bitter frost to shatter enemy formations and crush the minds of her foes.
- Grand Master Vaeleth, Light-Drinking Blademaster. A cold, sociopathic assassin whose dual obsidian daggers strike with terrifying velocity, stepping through shadows to decapitate enemy commanders.
- Thalindris, the Silent Fang, Fang-Bow Archer. A brooding, hooded dark ranger who looses arrows laced with void-essence, raising spectral shades from those she slays to turn against their former comrades.
- High Priestess Nyx, Censer-Bearing Priestess. A fanatical void-priestess who drains the life essence of enemies to heal her dark coven, chanting unholy hymns that twist the minds of her foes into screaming madness.
Hero Progression
Heroes are the heart of your warband. They grow stronger every battle, learn signature abilities, equip legendary loot, and can even be taken under your direct command.
Earn XP & Level Up
Choose Your Path
Equip Legendary Gear
Outfit heroes across 8 equipment slots with gear from your faction blacksmith and the neutral Troll-Vault — plus tomes for permanent stat boosts.
Take Direct Control
Army Roster
23 units across ground, air, sea, and trade. Master every warrior to dominate the battlefield.
⚔️Ground Forces(10)
50
80
90
30
15040
300100
50
2609050
2008040
1907035
16060
14050🦅Flying Units(4)
1806020
30010050
2508040
950360220⚓Naval Fleet(5)
200100
250100
100
400200200
300150150
200100💰Trade Units(2)
10050
15010050✨Summoned(2)
Conjured by spells rather than trained — they fight for a limited time, then fade away.
📜Campaign Units(1)
Elite units unlocked through the single-player campaign — not available in skirmish.
👑The King(1)
Regicide only. Your monarch stands in your base from the first second of the match, cannot be trained, replaced or rebuilt, and carries no weapon. Kill the enemy King and the match is over — lose yours and so are you.
Buildings
Key structures for the Dark Elves faction. Build your economy, train your army, and fortify your defenses.
⚙️Command & Production(10)
400200100
500200200
700300300
180100
180120
22510050
180100
22510080
22510080
1808040💰Economy(8)
8040
1005030
150
2008040
15060
25015050
2008060
400100200🛡️Defense(6)
1355050
1587575
540300300
300150150
18050125
250100100⚓Naval & Oil(5)
300200
20010050
250150
200150
200100🗿Wonder(1)
200020001500Hero Gear
Equip your heroes with gear forged at the Dark Elf blacksmith and consecrated at its altar. Faction-exclusive pieces are found nowhere else, while the shared arsenal is stocked at other factions' shops too.
Faction-Exclusive(6)
+12% critical strike chance, 8% lifesteal, +0.4 movement speed.
1200
+10% critical strike chance, 10% lifesteal.
680
+3 attack damage, +10% critical strike chance. Melee heroes only.
360
+1 armor, +8% critical strike chance.
350
+1 armor, +0.6 movement speed.
340
+0.5 movement speed, +3% critical strike chance.
215Shared Arsenal(40)
+2 armor, +10% crit, 5% lifesteal, +1 mana regeneration.
1200
+5 armor, reflects 3 melee damage, +1 HP regeneration per second.
1200
+6 armor, +2 HP regeneration per second, 5% lifesteal.
1200
+6 attack damage, +10% critical strike chance. Melee heroes only.
700
+5 attack damage, +15% attack speed. Ranged heroes only.
700
+25 spell power, +1 mana regeneration per second. Caster heroes only.
700
+5 armor, +1 HP regeneration per second.
700
+4 attack damage, +2 armor.
680
+10% critical strike chance, 5% lifesteal.
650
+3 armor. Reflects 2 damage to melee attackers.
650
Sound the horn: nearby allies gain +3 damage for 10 seconds. 30s cooldown.
450
Nearby allies regenerate +0.75 HP per second.
450
+0.25 mana regen. Nearby allied casters gain +0.5 mana regeneration per second.
400
+15 spell power, +0.5 mana regeneration per second.
375
+3 armor, +0.5 HP regeneration per second.
360
+15% attack speed. Ranged heroes only.
350
+1 armor. Nearby allies reflect 2 damage to melee attackers.
350
+2 armor, +0.3 movement speed.
350
+1 HP regeneration per second, +1 armor.
340
+0.75 mana regeneration per second.
325
+0.7 movement speed, +0.5 HP regeneration per second.
320
+2 armor. Reflects 1 damage to melee attackers.
300
+0.8 movement speed.
300
Permanently increases the hero's attack damage by 2.
250
Permanently increases the hero's armor by 1 and attack speed by 5%.
250
Permanently increases the hero's maximum mana by 15 and mana regeneration.
250
+0.35 movement speed, +1 armor.
215
Permanently adds 3 backpack slots, up to 30.
200
+3 attack damage. Melee heroes only.
200
+3 attack damage. Ranged heroes only.
200
+10 spell power. Caster heroes only.
200
+1 armor, +0.5 HP regeneration per second.
200
+2 attack damage.
200
+2 armor.
175
+0.55 movement speed.
175
+0.4 movement speed.
100
+0.25 mana regeneration per second.
100
+1 armor.
75
+0.5 HP regeneration per second.
75
+1 armor.
75From the Custom Games
The Dark Elves race their own cars in Wheels of Stone and build their own cities in Cities of Stone. Every prop here also stands in the Forge for your own maps.
Wheels of Stone
About Wheels of Stone →Race cars(2)
Black lacquer, twin fins. Steps through the dark to the road ahead.
Shadow Step: Steps a stretch further up the circuit.
Six legs of wheels and a blood-red body. Grips the road like a web.
Web Leap: Steps a stretch further up the circuit.
