The Witch Elf

Difficulty 80%
Versatility 65%
Mobility 95%
Career information
Race Dark Elves
Role Melee DPS
Armor Light
Weapons Dagger
Special Mechanic Blood Lust
Mirror Career Witch Hunter
Gender Female only
Abbrevations WE, Witch

Archetype: Melee DPS

Special Mechanic: Blood Lust

 

Class Details: An offensive melee attacker, Witch Elves favor ambushes and quick attacks. Once they close in on their victims, Witch Elves become filled with a joyous and terrible Blood Lust, ultimately unleashing in a vicious Frenzy. Their dark blades can also absorb and corrupt the victim’s own blood, briefly turning it into a deadly weapon in the Witch elves’ cruel hands. 

A Witch Elf is an expert in quick and dirty fighting. Her poisons are her strength, and often
several different Damage Over Time abilities can stack to more effectively eat away at the enemy’s health. One on One battles should be chosen carefully. A Witch Elf will need to be able to kill the target quickly, or risk taking more damage than her Light (almost nothing!) Armor can protect her from. She will always be using her Action Points pool, and as such will want to carry yellow potions to replenish them quickly, along with health restorers for the longer fights.

Career Masteries

The Witch Elves are the sanctified brides of Khaine, the Lord of Murder, and they serve their patron deity with savage pleasure. Wielding long daggers and prowling across the battlefield, the Witch Elves will sacrifice anyone and anything in their path as an offering to please the Bloody-Handed Lord.

With each strike of their weapons, the Witch Elves drive themselves deeper into a furious bloodlust, until they finally sate themselves in a horrific frenzy. Using their Khaine-blessed weapons, a Witch Elf can slice into her enemy and then corrupt their very blood upon her blades, briefly granting even more power to her attacks.

The Path of Carnage

The Path of Carnage is mainly concerned with quickly and directly slaughtering anything that presents itself to the Witch Elf. Eschewing subtlety, a specialist in this path prefers to confront her enemies face-to-face…or at least, face-to-what’s-left-of-their-face.

Path of Suffering

The Path of Suffering focuses more on effects that linger for some time, and a master in this path takes pleasure in leading her victims into a false sense of security. While her attacks may not seem dangerous at first, it’s only moments later that the Witch Elf’s enemy suddenly realizes that their death is imminent and there’s nothing they can do to stop it.

Path of Treachery

The Path of Treachery appeals to those Witch Elves who prefer to stalk their prey, attacking when the target is unsuspecting. A master of this path performs best in the thick of large, chaotic combats, where her victims are kept busy and unsuspecting, and she prefers to strike the enemy at their unprotected flanks.

Important Stats

 

As a Witch Elf you will need the following statistics which you can improve using armor sets, weapons, rings, talismans and renown points

 

Strength Skill: Increases your melee damage and  reduces your opponent’s chance to block or parry.

Weapons Skill: Increases your armor penetration and parry. 

Critical Chance: Increases your chance to deal critical damage ( not the amount). 

Wounds: Increases your overall HP. You can never have enough HP.

Acquiring Gear

There are many ways to get gear:

  1. Open RvR:  The gear and weapons you get here are for your main spec. When you kill or lock a zone you will be given a number of War Crests according to your level which you can trade for armor and weapons. At the end of a zone if you roll high enough you will be give a color bag with may contain certain tokens that you can trade and get a jewel set. Engineers don’t have defensive jewels set like other classes.
  2. Scenarios: Scenarios remain a very strong source of gear. You continue to earn War Crests at the end of every scenario, which are then traded with vendors in Altdorf (Order) or the Inevitable City (Destruction) for armor and weapons. The quality of gear from scenarios can still be among the best in the game, making them a crucial part of gearing up.
  3. Achievements & Tokens: The Tome of Knowledge is still a vital system. By completing achievements (e.g., killing a certain number of creatures, collecting specific items, or exploring areas), you unlock entries in your Tome. These unlocks can reward tokens that are then traded in the library in Altdorf or the Inevitable City for unique jewels or tactics. Some very desirable sets and bonuses can be acquired this way. The development team has continued to add more Tome Achievement Unlocks, including some tied to Live Events as of 2025.
  4.  Tier 4 epic quests: The epic quest lines in each area continue to be a source of significant rewards. Upon completing these lengthy, multi-step quest chains, you are typically given a choice of a powerful item, often with unique appearances or stats. These quests are a reliable way to get high-quality gear.
  5.  Dungeons & Lairs: Dungeons and lairs are still important for acquiring gear, weapons, and jewels, both while leveling up and for end-game progression. The RoR team has been actively updating and even adding new PvE content. For example, as of early 2025, there’s a “Lost Vale” dungeon update introducing new armor sets (Dark Promise sets, including main spec, off-spec, and hybrid options), and materials for crafting permanent rings.
  6. Ward System: The game utilizes a “Ward” system where you often need to unlock lower-tier Ward sets before being able to equip higher-tier dungeon gear (e.g., Gunbad -> City -> Bastion Stair).
  7. Public Quests (PQs): While not strictly “dungeons,” PQs are large-scale PvE events that can also provide gear through loot bags. RoR has implemented different difficulties for PQs (Easy, Normal, Hard) which scale with the recommended number of players and offer varying loot quality.

The Witch Elf: Dark Elf Assassin of Shadows and Frenzy

The Witch Elf in Warhammer Online: Return of Reckoning is a premier melee stealth/rogue class, renowned for their terrifying ambushes and lightning-fast assaults. They epitomize the cruel and joyful frenzy of Khaine’s followers, striking from the shadows to deliver devastating single-target burst damage. While inherently designed for precision elimination, their unique toolkit makes them a significant and often infuriating threat across various Realm vs. Realm (RVR) scenarios.

 

RVR Strengths: Surgical Strikes and Unholy Debuffs

 

  • Master of Stealth and Ambush: The Witch Elf’s defining ability is their stealth, which can last up to 1 minute and 30 seconds (Action Point dependent). This provides immense tactical flexibility in RVR:
    • Spying and Reconnaissance: Crucial for gathering intelligence on enemy positions, warband compositions, and objective status.
    • Infiltration and Surprise Attacks: The core of their offensive strategy. They can sneak behind enemy lines to launch devastating surprise attacks on vulnerable targets like healers, ranged DPS, or siege operators.
    • Escaping and Evasion: Stealth serves as a critical defensive and disengage tool, allowing them to escape unfavorable encounters or reposition.
    • Punishing Mispositioning: Their stealth enables them to capitalize on isolated or poorly positioned enemies, turning individual mistakes into group advantages.
  • Exceptional Single-Target Burst and Execution: Witch Elves are specialists in single-target damage, primarily delivering high burst damage with their dual swords/daggers. Their combat style revolves around gaining Blood Lust, which culminates in a vicious Frenzy that allows for devastating attacks. Their dark blades can also absorb and corrupt victim’s blood, turning it into a deadly weapon. Key offensive tools include:
    • Armor Ignore: Crucial for bypassing the defenses of heavily armored targets, ensuring their burst damage connects.
    • Many Finishers: A variety of powerful abilities for executing weakened foes.
  • Critical Debuffs and Crowd Control: Beyond raw damage, Witch Elves bring a suite of invaluable debuffs and crowd control (CC) that directly impact RVR:
    • Heal Debuff: A game-changing ability that significantly reduces the healing received by an enemy target, making them vulnerable to focus fire and preventing them from being topped off. This is paramount for securing kills on priority targets.
    • Knockdown, Disarm, Silence: These CCs are vital for disrupting enemy spellcasters, preventing melee damage, and locking down high-priority targets during burst windows.
    • Self Punt: A unique utility skill for repositioning or escaping danger.
    • 30-Sec Delay Resurrection (for enemies): A potent ability to delay enemy re-entry into the fight, particularly useful in objective-based scenarios or for preventing a rapid rally.
  • Versatile RVR Applicability: Witch Elves have a clear and impactful role across all scales of RVR:
    • Solo Roaming: Considered one of the best solo classes due to stealth, allowing them to intercept enemy reinforcements, pick off stragglers, or perform objective denial. However, “solo play involves a lot of death… pick your fight carefully or group up” until geared, highlighting the high skill ceiling and gear dependency.
    • Small Parties & Scenarios: Provide critical burst damage, focused target elimination, and disruptive debuffs against specific enemy threats.
    • Ranked Scenarios: Their precise target execution and disruptive CC are highly valued in competitive environments.
    • Warbands (1-2 Spots): While primarily single-target, a Witch Elf’s ability to dive the backline, apply crucial heal debuffs, and execute high-value targets makes them a coveted addition. The recent (2020) stealth pounce (while having “limited uses” for warbands) still provides tactical flexibility for initiation.

RVR Challenges: Resource Management and Vulnerability

 

  • Action Point (AP) Management: Stealth consumes AP. The longer spent in stealth, the less AP available for combat upon exiting. This creates a strategic tension between infiltration duration and combat readiness, demanding careful AP management.
  • Minimal AoE: Witch Elves possess minimum to no AoE abilities in their core kit. While some spec options offer limited AoE, they are niche and generally not their strength. This means they are less effective at cleaving through multiple targets in large-scale melees, requiring them to focus on single-target eliminations.
  • Vulnerability Out of Stealth: Once out of stealth and engaged, Witch Elves can be squishy. While capable of fighting 1 vs. 1 if well-prepared, they rely on burst and CC to quickly dispatch foes before they themselves are overwhelmed. They are prime targets for enemy CC and focus fire once revealed.

 

The Witch Elf in RVR: The Incisive Shadow

 

The Witch Elf in Warhammer Online: Return of Reckoning is a ruthless and precise melee DPS, defining the role of a stealthy assassin. Their unparalleled ability to ambush, deliver devastating single-target burst, and apply critical debuffs makes them an essential asset for surgical elimination and battlefield disruption across all RVR fronts. Playing a Witch Elf requires cunning, precise execution, and a deep understanding of target prioritization, rewarding skilled players with the power to turn the tide of battle from the shadows.

Playing a Damage Per Second (DPS) class in Warhammer Online: Return of Reckoning (RoR) is all about maximizing your offensive output, assisting your tank, and eliminating enemy threats efficiently. While tanks soak damage and healers keep everyone alive, DPS are the sharp end of the spear, responsible for taking down the enemy.

Just like with tanks, the specific skill names and mechanics will vary slightly between DPS careers (e.g., White Lion, Slayer, Witch Hunter, Shadow Warrior for Order; Choppa, Marauder, Sorcerer, Squig Herder for Destruction), but the core principles of effective DPS remain consistent.

 

The Core Philosophy of a RoR DPS

 

A successful RoR DPS focuses on:

  1. Target Prioritization: Knowing who to hit and when to hit them.
  2. Damage Maximization: Utilizing your rotations, procs, and cooldowns effectively to output the highest possible damage.
  3. Situational Awareness: Avoiding unnecessary damage, positioning for optimal attacks, and reacting to battlefield changes.
  4. Assisting Allies: Peeling for healers, interrupting key enemy abilities, and adding utility where needed.

 

Essential DPS Skills and Their Usage

 

1. Core Damage Abilities (Spam/Rotation Skills)

 

  • What they do: These are your bread-and-butter attacks, forming the core of your damage rotation. They generate resources (if applicable) or simply deal consistent damage.
  • When they’re used:
    • On Cooldown (or as part of your rotation): Most DPS careers have a specific sequence of abilities that maximize their damage output. Learn this rotation and execute it consistently.
    • Resource Management: If your class uses a resource (e.g., Meticulous Strike for Witch Hunters generating ‘Accuracy’), ensure you’re using your skills in a way that keeps your resource high enough to use your more powerful abilities.
  • Example: As a Choppa, your core rotation might involve alternating between “Furious Choppa” (damage + rage generation) and “Rampage” (damage + rage consumption), trying to keep your “Reckless Abandon” buff up as much as possible. You’re constantly hitting these abilities as soon as they’re available, focusing on your primary target.

 

2. Burst / Cooldown Abilities

 

  • What they do: These are your most powerful damage-dealing abilities, often with long cooldowns. They are designed to deliver a massive spike of damage in a short window.
  • When they’re used:
    • Opening Engagements: Often used at the very start of a fight, especially in coordinated assaults, to quickly eliminate a priority target.
    • Execute Phase: When an enemy’s health drops low, burst abilities can quickly finish them off before they can be healed or escape.
    • Responding to Healing: If an enemy is being heavily healed, a coordinated burst from multiple DPS can overwhelm the healing.
    • Focus Fire: Used in conjunction with other DPS to quickly eliminate a pre-called target.
  • Example: As a Sorcerer, you might open with “Daemonic Breath” or “Gaze of the Dark Gods” to apply a powerful debuff or initial burst, followed by your core rotation. When your group calls for a focus fire on an enemy healer, you pop your “Gifts of Chaos” to significantly amplify your damage for a short duration and unleash your most powerful spells.

 

3. Interrupts (Punt, Stagger, Silence)

 

  • What they do: These abilities stop an enemy’s current cast, preventing them from using a spell or channeled ability.
  • When they’re used:
    • Critical Casts: Identify and interrupt high-impact enemy abilities. This includes:
      • Heals: Stopping enemy healers from saving their allies.
      • CC: Preventing enemy mages from polymorphing your tank or putting your healer to sleep.
      • Big DPS Spells: Interrupting powerful AoE nukes or single-target burst spells.
    • Denying Resources: Some abilities are crucial for resource generation. Interrupting them can starve an enemy.
    • Setting up Kills: Interrupting an enemy’s escape ability can ensure they stay in range for your group to finish them.
  • Example: You see an enemy Archmage beginning to cast “Healing Resonance,” a powerful AoE heal. You immediately use your “Rift Blade” (Shadow Warrior) or “Gut Ripper” (Witch Hunter) to interrupt the cast, denying their group a significant amount of healing.

 

4. Crowd Control (CC) – Roots, Snares, Stuns, Disarms, Blinds

 

  • What they do: These abilities impair enemy movement, actions, or vision, making them vulnerable or preventing them from attacking.
  • When they’re used:
    • Peeling for Allies: If an enemy melee DPS is on your healer, a root or snare can create distance, allowing your healer to escape or for your tank to re-engage.
    • Target Isolation: Rooting a specific enemy can prevent them from fleeing or reaching their allies for healing.
    • Setting Up Kills: Stuns can hold an enemy in place for your group to burst them down without retaliation. Disarms prevent melee attackers from using their weapons.
    • Kiting: Applying snares to keep dangerous melee enemies at a distance while you deal damage.
  • Example: An enemy Witch Elf has bypassed your tank and is now tearing into your Bright Wizard. You quickly apply a “Winged Death” (Witch Hunter) to root the Witch Elf, allowing your Bright Wizard to create distance and for your tank to pick them up.

 

5. Debuffs (Offensive Utility)

 

  • What they do: DPS classes often have abilities that reduce enemy armor, resistances, outgoing damage, or healing received.
  • When they’re used:
    • Focus Fire Enhancement: Apply armor or resistance debuffs to the enemy target your group is focusing. This significantly increases the damage all your allies deal to that target.
    • Threat Reduction: Debuffs that reduce enemy damage output can ease the burden on your healers, especially from dangerous melee DPS.
    • Anti-Heal: Apply anti-healing debuffs to enemy healers or high-priority targets to reduce the effectiveness of incoming healing.
  • Example: Your warband is focusing an enemy Ironbreaker. As a Squig Herder, you consistently apply “Barbed Arrow” to him, reducing his armor and making him much easier for your entire group to burn down.

 

General DPS Principles

 

  • Target Priority:
    • Healers First (often): Eliminating enemy healers is usually the quickest way to win a fight.
    • Squishy DPS: Mages, archers, and some melee DPS are often easier to kill than tanks and can deal significant damage if left unchecked.
    • Debuffers/CCers: Sometimes, taking out an enemy who is consistently applying powerful debuffs or CC to your team is a higher priority.
    • Tanks Last: Tanks are designed to be hard to kill. Only focus them if all higher priority targets are dead or they are isolated and vulnerable.
  • Positioning:
    • Melee DPS: Stay on the enemy’s flanks or back to avoid cleaves and maximize your damage (some classes get bonuses for this). Stick to your tank’s target or peel for your healers.
    • Ranged DPS: Maintain maximum range from the enemy frontline while still having line of sight to your target. Stay near your healers for potential peels or heals. Avoid being isolated.
  • Situational Awareness:
    • Watch for Enemy CC: Be ready to break free from roots, snares, or stuns, or to anticipate them and use a defensive ability.
    • Avoid AoE: Don’t stand in enemy AoE spells. Even as a DPS, taking unnecessary damage taxes your healers.
    • Protect Yourself: Don’t rely solely on your healers. Use your personal defensive abilities (e.g., “Dodge” for Witch Hunters, “Thousand Cuts” for Slayers) when you’re taking heavy damage.
  • Communication: Call out your targets, especially if you’re initiating on a healer. Let your group know if you’re getting focused or if you’re out of position.
  • Renown Skills: Prioritize offensive renown skills like Weapon Skill/Ballistic Skill, Initiative, and Strength/Intelligence. Defensive renown can be useful too, but your primary role is damage.
  • Potions: Keep damage potions and speed potions on hand to enhance your burst or escape sticky situations.

By mastering these elements, a DPS player in RoR becomes a crucial force, turning the tide of battle through decisive damage and intelligent utility.

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