LO Wood Elves Tactica: 2006 - 2008

[DavidVC04]

Durthu the Treeman - The Ancient Wrath of the Woods

Contributor: Parcival
The rules and stats for Durthu are available in German HERE.

Strengths

• High Weapon Skill
• High Strength
• High Toughness
• Many Wounds
• Many Attacks
• High Leadership
• Forest Spirit
• Causes Terror
• Strangle-root Attack
• Tree Singing: See Treeman Ancient special rule.

Strengths and Special Rules

• Tough Bark: Durthu's tough bark gives him a 3+ armor saving throw and reduces any attacker's armor modifier by one point.
• Lost a few branches: Durthu is stubborn and may reroll any missed hit rolls.
• Predacious Spites: They have a range of 12 inches, D6 S2 attacks, and always hit on a 4+. In close combat they give him an additional D6 S2 attacks. Any unit loosing wounds because of the predacious spites suffers the effects of the Transmutation of Lead spell (see Lore of Metal in the basic rule book).
• Dash Attack: Durthu may give up all his normal attacks and combine them into a single S10 attack causing D6 wounds.

Weaknesses

• Low Initiative
• Flammable
• High cost (450 points)
• Must be your army's General
• Uses two Hero slots
• May not carry additional spites

Weaknesses and Special Rules

• Lost a few branches: At the beginning of every game, your opponent has to name a unit as the primary evil doer. In every compulsory move phase of your turn, Durthu has to pass a leadership test or he will move right into the direction of the named unit and attack if possible, if he has LoS.
• Special Character: Because of his Special Character status, you need your opponent's permission to use him, which I no longer expect to get (my opponents hate him).

Tactics
Durthu can basically be played like a Treeman Ancient.

Furthermore, Durthu's weakness of occupying two hero slots is also one of his major strengths: starting at a 2000 point army you're able to field Durthu as general (two hero slots) in combination with a Treeman Ancient (uses one Lord and one rare slot) and a standard treeman (uses one rare slot). Can you say "plain evil"? Add a Battle Standard Bearer to this T(h)reesome and they will block off everything. Add a spellsinger and your combined treesinging efforts will move a wood all over the table giving you a big tactical advantage or forcing your opponent to use up his dispel dices.

Durthu's predacious spites are a nice add-on, but due to their low strength they will hardly ever cause an opponent to loose wounds. Since they may target a different unit than the strangle-root attack, you may view them as an extra ranged attack, but don't expect to get more than the occasional lucky shot.

[DavidVC04]

Glade Guard
Contributors: Cyric the Mad

Strengths

• High ballistic skill
• May move and fire with no penalty
• S4 arrows at short range

Weaknesses

• Frail - Toughness 3
• No solid CC ability
• No armor save

Unit Options and Composition

Unit Size: As with most Wood Elf units, the minimum size of 10 is usually ideal for Glade Guard. The goal with this unit is to bring the maximum amount of ranged attacks to bear on your opponent, so avoid multiple ranks unless you have a hill in your deployment zone.

Champion: This option really isn’t worth it. One arrow at +1 BS won’t be useful often enough to justify the points.

Standard Bearer: Leaving this option out may result in low Comp scores at tournaments, but other than that it is strongly advised that you leave the banner at home. If you Glade Guard see combat, the +1 CR won’t matter enough. In all likelihood, this option translates to 100 free VP’s for your opponent.

Musician: This is widely considered to be a must for Glade Guard. More often than not, your Glade Guard will flee at some point during the battle – either from a charge or from combat. Wood Elves have high leadership, but a little insurance is never a bad idea.

Characters: One reason to add a character to a unit of Glade Guard are to bolster the ranged strength of the unit – for example:

• Noble or Highborn with Bow of Loren and Magic Arrows
• Noble or Highborn with Hail of Doom Arrow
• Noble or Highborn with Resplendence of Luminescents (A particularly nasty trick against Daemonic Units or Forest Spirits)
• BSB with Aech – The Banner of Springtide (which can help turn your opponents “easy charge” into a hail of S4 Arrow Death).

Alternatively, you can put Spellsingers and Spellweavers into units of Glade Guard to give them some added protection.


Tactics/Roles
Fireline – S4 Arrows make an advancing line of Glade Guard an immediate priority for your opponent. Two or more lines of Glade Guard marching toward the enemy is more than enough of a threat to get his attention, so use this to your advantage. As soon as your Glade Guard are within short range, it is usually best to stop, or begin moving backward if the enemy is coming toward you.

With this tactic, you will almost always flee from charges, so make sure you have flanking and support units ready to jump in. A favorite trick is to advance Glade Guard in front of Dryads or Wardancers, through which the Glade Guard will flee when the time comes.

This unit simply cannot stand up to most other units in close combat. As such, you must remember that if you commit them to combat, assume they will be defeated and overrun. However, if you think you can sufficiently damage an enemy unit on a Stand and Shoot reaction, then the sacrifice of your Glade Guard may be worth it.

When combat is joined, Glade Guard can, occasionally, bolster combat with a flank charge, but more often than not, your Glade Guard will shift their focus from fireline to VP-denial. That is, do your best to keep them over 50% strength, but don’t be afraid to use them to shoot down fleeing or otherwise isolated units.

Deployment
Units of 10 or so Glade Guard are typically deployed in a single rank of 10 models, which enables every member of the unit to fire. If the terrain favors you, feel free to create a ranked unit, but always be aware that the cost of Glade Guard models means you almost need them firing from turn 1.

It is important to note that lines of 10 Glade Guard can fill your deployment zone quickly, so always take this into account when choosing your force. 50 archers may look good on paper, but when you deploy and find that only 20 of them can fire, things begin to look bleak.

Threats
Most enemy CC units will tear your Glade Guard to shreds, so keep them protected, or at least keep the enemy away as long as possible.

Without any armor this unit can fall to enemy ranged attacks. However, unless you are facing opposing longbows, you can typically stay out of range for at least a couple of turns.

Enemy magic will quickly annihilate this unit as well.

[DavidVC04]

Glade Guard Scouts
Contributor: Skarsgard

Strengths

• High ballistic skill
• Scouts
• May move and fire with no penalty
• Skirmishers

Weaknesses

• Frail - Toughness 3
• No solid CC ability
• High points costs
• Don’t have Glade Guard bows
• No armor save

Unit Options and Composition

One thing to remember is that you can only take a unit of Scouts if you already have a normal Glade Guard unit. It is a limiting factor to how many Scouts you can have.

Unit Size: Glade Guard Scouts can be taken in units of 5 – 10. As with most Scouts the smaller the unit size the better as it makes it easier for them to use their special scouting deployment.

Champion: This option really isn’t worth it. One arrow at +1 BS won’t be useful often enough to justify the points.

Standard Bearer: Leave the banner out unless you are planning on taking the Banner of Zenith to increase the marchblocking effectiveness of the unit. A normal banner just means they are worth more points to your opponent with little gain for you. Giving the unit a banner, especially a magical one, makes it a much more rewarding target for your opponent which can net them another 100Vp on top of the cost of the unit. So always take care when exercising this option.

Musician: Due to their close proximity to the enemy the potential to be taking Terror checks or panic checks may be high. As they are so far from your general it is advisable to give the unit a musician to help them rally. However, small units are likely to get wiped out wholesale if targeted, so this really comes down to a personal choice.

Characters: Scouting characters can join the Scouts and give them a bit more punch, but this is fairly risky as both the character and the unit are very fragile and incorrect deployment could result in easy points for your opponent.


Tactics/Roles

There are several roles for the Scouts.

Marchblocking

For small units, 5-6 models. With their Scouting deployment your Scouts may be able to marchblock enemy forces from the first turn. This is particularly handy for armies that focus on shooting. They aren’t as capable as Waywatchers but they are cheaper and a Core choice. The marchblocking can be enhanced by the inclusion of the Banner of Zenith, but this adds greatly to the cost of the unit.

Harassment

Five shots at strength 3 may not sound like much but it can make a world of difference in a crucial shooting phase. Their skirmishing formation allows them to shoot 360 and threaten any unit in range and LOS. They can also take out warmachine crews in combat but it is a little risky. Empire crewmen many be a bit easier than Dwarven crewmen to tackle, the inclusion of a musician can help in combats where the result is a draw. In addition to this they can take on lone wizards or support a charge from another unit.

Bait and Flee

Although not as good as fast cavalry, small units of Scouts can be used to redirect enemy units or bait them for advantageous charges from other units. The skirmish rule gives them very good manouverability and allows them to get into a position where your opponent has to charge or sit there are take 5 shots every turn.

Shootouts

Here we depart from the standard 5 man scout squad. The object here is to take a 10 man unit with musician and use the bonuses of the skirmishing rule to act as a moving mass of strength 3 firepower. The ability to move and shoot with no penalty and the -1 to hit for being skirmishers means they are ideal for taking out other archers or warmachines that use their ballistic skill. This unit deploys with the rest of the army and acts like a ready reaction force.


Deployment

Deployment of the Scouts is crucial to their success. If you position them badly they are easy victory points for your opponent. Unfortunately the only way to get good at it is to practice. Always have a plan for them beyond turn 1 and put them in a place where they threaten multiple targets.

Threats

Most enemy CC units will tear your Scouts to shreds, so keep them protected, or at least keep the enemy away as long as possible.

Without any armor this unit can fall to enemy ranged attacks. But the skirmishing ability helps a lot. Make use of terrain as well to increase the difficulty of being hit.

Enemy magic will quickly annihilate this unit as well.

[DavidVC04]

Glade Riders - Basic Fast Cav
Contributors: ArchonFarseerGuy

Glade Riders are simply your generic Fast Cavalry. They can't destroy an enemy in one charge like Brettonian Knights. They can't take any Magic Banners of doom, nor can they survive a volley from Dwarf Thunderers. However, they do have some uses, as I will explore here.

Basic/generic tactics:
Decoy - This is a basic fast cavalry tactic, and one Glade Riders excel at. They place themselves right in the way of the enemy (ie, very few inches in front, like 3 or something similar). The enemy unit must now charge, flip around, or stay still. If the unit is one of Dwarf Ironbreakers, there's really only one thing the unit CAN do, charge, and when they do: you flee. This results in one of the enemy units pulled out of position for another turn (as they now can't march). This tactic works against basically all infantry, though be careful against Elves and Skaven who move quicker.

Against other Cavalry, deploy them opposite the enemy Cavalry, around 24" away from them. After a long march, you should then be 6" away from them. The non-marching Cavalry must now move around them, or charge. If they charge, flee, and have a combat unit ready to counter-charge. If the Glade Riders get caught, charge the offending unit with Wardancers, Dryads, or whatever.

What makes this tactic great is that the Glade Riders are almost guaranteed to rally next turn (barring some really bad rolls).

Harass - This tactic is painfully basic. The concept idea is that Fast Cavalry can fire on the march, and GR's don't take any penalty for moving and shooting.

The plan is to get in behind (or beside) an enemy unit, and just do as your heart is content with doing. Fire arrows into the target unit, marchblock them, threaten a charge, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. If they get attacked by Skirmishers, just revert to Decoy, and don't let them charge you.

Destroying an enemy unit - Here, you start by placing them behind an enemy unit. The Riders M9 should help immensely here. Once you've done that, fire everything at that unit until they get panicked. If they fail, they flee into your Glade Riders, and get destroyed. Again, basic, but there is a reason it's under this section. Useful all the same.

Bait Fanatics out - Fanatics drive me crazy. If you charge straight at them, they spin out and destroy whatever came too close. So, if you Glade Riders are looking a little worse for the wear (eg, down to 2 models, or something), send them towards any unit that looks like it may have Fanatics. Angle them strategically, so the drugged-up Gobbos go away from your line, closer to theirs, into a forest, or whatever's convenient at the time. You'll thank me for this when your Wardancers or Wild Riders don't get knocked to kingdom come instead of chopping those pesky Gobbos. A little wasteful, but if you're unit is about to die, why not? It will be for a worthy cause (most of the time, at any rate).

Gaining easy VP's in Turn 6 - Again, basic, yet highly effective. In Turn 6, flip them around, and race full pelt into an unoccupied Table Quarter. You have just scored yourself 100 VP's. Of course, you can deny your opponent 100 points as well, if they're occupying an unchallenged quarter.

Another useful thing is being able to get to the center of a table to claim an objective in the last turn.

Shoot - Fast Cavalry can reform freely, even on the march, and fire on the march. Glade Riders can move through woods at full pelt, and suffer no penalty to move and shoot. Thus, they can get into a nigh-perfect position to shoot someone. Is there a unit of Bretonnian Yeomen looking ready to charge next turn? Great, get your Glade Riders there, and fire all hell on them. If they don't panic, at least they'll be reduced, making the prospect of a charge easier.

Forests - For a start, vision. If a unit is more than 2" inside a forest, they cannot be seen. So, if there is a unit of Thunderers looking ominous, hide, so you can see another unit, but not the Thunderers. Even if you can be seen, they'll suffer a -1 hit penalty for soft cover.

Going a bit more advanced, place your Riders in position to execute the Decoy tactic, but make sure there's a forest behind your Riders. Flee, as normal with charge reactions. The only difference is that the enemy will now be stuck in a forest, which should occupy them for at least 2 turns. You can do this with pretty much every tactic. For example, what if the Fanatics have to go through a forest to get at your GR's? You can also use them for a "cha-cha" tactic, or to lose an enemy unit, leaving them isolated. Speaking of which...

Vs isolated combat units - If there is a powerful combat-oriented combat unit (preferably infantry) looking lonely on the flanks (or else they're trying to sneak around), send in your Glade Riders, especially if there's no other job for them.

Place them directly in front of the unit. They can either charge, or flip around. If they charge, flee. If you can rally, repeat these antics until it looks like you will hit the board edge. Once that happens, leave the unit to turn around and join the action in Turn 6 (if they're lucky).

If their unit flips around, move your Riders to their new front, again, this will put them having to make the same decision as last turn. You have to love the maneuverability of Fast Cavalry.

Using in Synch with other units

Combat - On their own, Glade Riders aren't a bad prospect – they have 5 WS4 S4 attacks on the charge (pretty much always getting the charge). Against Skinks, Snotlings, weak Skirmishers, or a badly reduced unit, they can do significant damage. However, they are extremely vulnerable to return attacks. Thus, their greatest asset comes with a combined assault.

Imagine a unit of Dwarf Warriors stuck in combat with a unit of Dryads. They are fully ranked up, outnumber the Dryads (we'll say there are 20 warriors vs 12 Dryads), have a banner and a powerful Thane. Combat Resolution: Dwarves have Outnumber, 3 Ranks and a banner. The Dryads have to inflict 5 unsaved wounds just to tie the combat, even then, the Dwarves have a musician. However, help is at hand. A unit of 5 Glade Riders and an Alter Noble have seen their plight. The Glade Riders hit the flank, and the Alter hits the rear (having just finished off the warmachines).

The combat ensues as follows: The Thane challenges hoping for the Alter to accept. However, the Wood Elf player sees that he will lose a hero, so accepts with his Glade Rider champion.

The Riders (and horses) inflict 2 wounds, one of which is saved. The Alter causes 3 S6 wounds (we'll assume he has a Great Weapon), none of which are saved. The Dryads strike, doing 2 wounds, one of which is saved. The Glade Rider champion strikes the Thane, doing no damage. The Thane strikes back, doing 2 unsaved wounds. The warriors on the flank strike the Glade Riders, doing nothing that isn't saved. The Warriors at the front do 1 wound on the Dryads, which isn't saved. Combat Resolution is as follows:
- Wood Elves have Outnumber, a Flank Charge, and 5 wounds.
- The Dwarves have 3 wounds, ad a banner. They have now lost by 3, and take a Break Test at Ld6.

Most combats should go something like that. Unit Champions are great for intercepting blows from powerful characters, since they're basically like normal warriors. Other than that, Glade Rider champions are pretty useless.

Refused Flank - Place your Glade Riders as the only unit on any given flank. Advance them up ahead. When an enemy unit charges at them, your Riders should be awkwardly positioned, so they can regroup afterwards (DON'T flee off the board), and so the enemy unit has to spin around, then move, putting them out of the game for at least 2 turns. If you can put one unit out this way, good. If you can put a 300+ point unit out in this way, then great, if you can put 3 units out this way, really great. If one of those 3 units has the General and/or a unit of doom, then you deserve a Nobel Prize, as they'll get in each other’s way as they reposition.

If your opponent sees this and moves his units inwards earlier, be careful. Get your Riders in behind them and prohibit marches. Also bear in mind that he won't be able to get into combat with all his units simultaneously.

Combined Shooting - On their own, Glade Riders are good at shooting. However, throw in a unit of Glade Guard AND Scouts shooting that unit, don't be surprised if they panic, or even destroy a small unit.

A great way to get lots of panic tests is to kill a small unit (say, Fast Cavalry), or to make them flee into other units, creating a nifty chain reaction.

Use with an Alter - Unless the hero in question has an Elven Steed or other mount, the Alter is the only hero in the Wood Elves army that can keep up with them without actually having to join them. You can use this to create shooting dilemma (the Alter or the Riders? This can actually be a tricky question). If you plan to use combat, the Alter's M9 is also useful, since he can always charge at the same time as the Riders.

Flee through ItP units - Same as Cyric's Cha-Cha tactic, but I'd like to emphasize the use of Glade Riders. If you are unsure of how it works, place them in front of an enemy unit, with an ItP unit behind them (Forest Spirits, Wardancers or a unit with a character wielding the otherwise useless Gwytherc’s Horn). When the enemy charges, flee. They will run through the ItP unit, but (being ItP), they will not panic. The best bit about this is that you can rally next turn, and do the same again next turn. Other units cannot do that.

The enemy unit must now also take on a big scary unit waiting to get into combat. Que manic laughter.

With a Spellweaver using the Lore of Beasts - The BRB has a few interesting surprises in the Lore of Beasts. Such as the spell The Oxen Stands (or something similar), that allows any cavalry unit to auto-rally. If you can never rally your troops (rolling four 12's in a row), this spell may be your solution. If that isn't your fancy, try The Wolf Hunts (again, or something similar), the one that lets a Cavalry unit move forwards. A cunning way to be an inch thief, of if you're set up a long way from the enemy.

General Rules of Thumb
AFG's First Law - Always take a unit of 5 or 6, unless you want to fill points, or you want a suicide unit to charge straight into the enemy's midst with no hope of survival (in which case, I must say shame on you for being a Wood Elf player, there are Dark Elves, you know)

AFG's Second Law - ALWAYS take a Musician. Without exception. You will be fleeing lots which means that you'll need to rally next turn. Even if you do want that suicide unit, you could get a tied combat.

AFG's Third Law - Don't bother with a standard bearer. If you voluntarily flee, you lose your standard, so don't waste points on this, and I think the enemy may get 100 VP's, but I could be wrong here.

AFG's Fourth Law - Stay away from Missile fire. Nothing's more annoying than losing a unit in a single turn that has a grand purpose

AFG's Fifth Law - Don't be afraid to flee. Be selective of when you do it. It's likely that your Riders won't be able to face off with a unit that has a unit strength of higher that 3, especially if they get charged. Just don't flee into an enemy unit, or off the board edge, and be careful of fleeing them into your own units. You never know how unlucky you may get with those confounded Panic Tests.

AFG's Sixth Law - Characters are good, but I wouldn't bother using them in a GR unit unless you want an improved Leadership. They make for a juicier target (more VP's on offer), and they don't gain any shooting benefits.

[DavidVC04]

Dryads - The “Real” Fury of the Forest
Contributors: _Toast_

Strengths

• Great Maneuverability
• Highest toughness/strength for a core unit
• Models get two attacks
• High Initiative
• Forest Spirits
• Cause Fear

Weaknesses

• No rank bonus
• Cannot take banners or musicians
• No Bows
• Skirmishers (truly a mixed blessing)
• A nasty target for magic

Unit Options and Composition
Branch Nymph – As stated before, Dryads do not have the ability to take a full command, so it is important for them to dish out as much pain as possible. This can be done by always upgrading one model to a Branch Nymph, which gives an extra attack, and the ability to make challenges.

Size – Because Dryads do not get rank bonuses, or the ability negate them, units should be fielded smaller and more compact. This means that the unit will have more maneuverability, and you get more attacking troops, rather than having a few just hanging out in the back. Fielding small units of 8-10 dryads in packs of 2, means that you can get 2x the amount of attacks you regularly would, if you fielded them in one huge group of 20.

Characters – This unit can be joined by Branchwraiths, Drycha, and Spellsingers or Spellweavers who have been given the Glamourweave Kindred, so it’s important to realize what this means to the unit. If a unit is being joined by a non-wizard Branchwraith or Drycha, then it still functions as the unit normally would. If the Branchwraith has been upgraded however, then the unit takes on a more of a bodyguard stance. Wizard Branchwraiths are usually meant to be dispel dice generators, so it’s important not to throw this unit into the most intense regions of fighting. This does not mean that the unit should not advance, but rather it should move along the flanks, where it can still be used as an attack unit on weaker troops.

Tactics
Pack of Wolves – Dryads are not meant to be used as huge blocks of angry trees, but rather swift and agile packs of hunters. This means that units with dryads should move around close to each other, and engage targeted units at the same time, being swift and brutal on the charge. Dryads work well in picking off lone stragglers, and units that have been separated from the rest of the “herd”, so it is wise to put them in a position where they can do so. Moving them in areas with tree cover, or just having them sulk around the table edges, works best for this tactic. They can engage almost any type of core troop, but can only do so if all of the Dryads are able to charge.

Flank Protection – Small contingents of Dryads can also be used as support groups for other more conventional units, like Eternal Guard, and work well when positioned at the flanks of the bigger units. When being used in this manner, dryads offer 360 degree flank/rear charge coverage, and also work as shock troops for when the protected unit engages in combat.

Don’t Get Swamped – The only main weakness of Dryads is that to field them most effectively, they must be in small unit sizes. This means that being in prolonged combat or shooting zones will wear them down fast. They do have the saving grace of a high toughness and a decent ward save, but this should not be heavily relied upon.

Screeners - Like any skirmisher, Dryads make an effective screen of other units. Add their skirmishing ability, high toughness, immune to psychology rule, and limited ward save and you've got a really tough missile-absorbing screen that can dart out for combat after soaking up a few rounds of shooting or magic.

Deployment
I always place my dryads on the ends of the table, as I rely heavily on the “pack of wolves” tactic. They can move freely around the table as skirmishers, so even if they are not totally in the best spot at the beginning of the game, with their fast movement and small unit sizes, can adeptly weave around the battle field. In a normal force, I would allocate 2 groups of 8 as hunters and then another unit of 8 as flank support for my Eternal Guard retinue.

Because Dryads are skirmishers, they benefit from being able to move through difficult terrain without any penalties. They are also Wood Elves, so they can nimbly weave in and out of the trees as well. This can be exploited very easily if your opponent uses big blocks of rank and file troops, because it gives you the ability to rear/flank charge and have them positioned behind units that you believe can be broken. This causes the broken unit to die instantly, the moment it flees into the Dryad unit. One thing to watch out for is, even though they move without any penalties, they still can only see through terrain for a certain distance, so prepare by moving them so they can always "see" their destination.

[DavidVC04]

Eternal Guard - The Elite "Block" Troops of the Forest
Contributors: Trodi

Strengths

• Combat resolution (Only Wood Elf troop for viable rank bonus)
• Second rank gets to attack (First rank gets two attacks)
• High Weapons Skill
• 5+ Armor Save (High armor for an Elf)
• Gain “Stubborn” when joined by a Noble or Highborn

Weaknesses

• One of the least maneuverable troops in the Wood Elf arsenal
• Low Toughness
• Low Strength
• No Bows
• Can be flanked and rear charged to lose rank bonus
• A juicy target for artillery

Unit Options and Composition
Full Command – This is one unit that you want to always take a full command with, including a banner for additional CR. In addition, you won’t need to worry about losing these VP too easily. This unit will be way to costly to lose a combat due to a tie, so take a musician.

Size – Most find that EG should run between 20 and 40 strong. (Some find huge units of 70 very powerful, while others like to run them in small 10-15 man units.) The former presents the problem of reduced mobility and an easy target for artillery (Rhymer’s Harp helps out here). The latter takes away one of the key advantages here: rank bonus. With one or two extra ranks, the unit will see combat with either no bonus or only one extra point. If you go with this tactic, it is not feasible to place a character in the unit.

Characters – This unit goes great with characters, but you need them suited for the job. A Noble or Highborn makes the unit “Stubborn”. Battle Standard bearers are very common as they let EG have two chances at rolling a 9 on a 2D6 to not break from combat. Another common occurrence is tooling up a combat Noble/Highborn. Items such as Great Weapons, Rhymer’s Harp (Gives unit 5+ ward save and allows them to move though difficult terrain without penalty), Annoyance of Netlings (Enemy needs 6’s to hit in a challenge), and Oaken Armor (Light Armor, Regeneration) prove great for this.

Tactics
A Strong Center – Eternal Guard provide a solid center for Wood Elves. They perform well in this role, taking and charging the front. Unlike most Wood Elf troops, Eternal Guard can charge/be charged head on fairly well. They offer up a load of attacks (Most of the time you will need only 3’s to hit) and with the aid of a Noble/Highborn, they don’t need to win. They can often hold unit said enemy unit for the round or two that it takes to deliver a flank charge from a harder hitting unit. High initiative means you will be attacking first most of the time and can significantly reduce the number of attacks coming back at you, unless, of course, you are fighting a high toughness scary unit/Monster. (Here is where your Noble/Highborn’s Great Weapon and the “Stubborn” ability come in handy! Also, Amber's Pendant is great if you think you will be charged, it lets you attack first even if you are charged.)

Guard your flanks – Like any ranked unit, the weakest part of an Eternal Guard unit is getting flanked and losing its very much needed rank bonus. Prevent this by protecting your flank with a unit of Dryads or Wardancers or whatever suits your army. (Or a cliff!). Also, don't forget that a noble or highborn makes them stubborn. Losing a flank isn't nearly as bad when that's the case, though you're still likely up the creek without a paddle. Don't forget to move characters into combat during your movement phase should you find yourself charged in a flank or the rear.

Deployment
I normally place my Eternal Guard around the middle of my line, going with the “Strong Center” idea. This doesn’t mean the middle of the board however. Mainly this means that I cover my flanks with other units, setting up not only the ability to have multiple charges but also guarding my flanks.

[DavidVC04]

Wardancers - Death by Interpretive Dance
Contributors: DavidVC04

First Things
To use Wardancers properly, you need an MP3 player of some sort or another, and you need speakers to attach to whatever music device you choose. Next, you need to select four pieces of music, one for each dance. I use the following:

1. Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” for Storm of Blades
2. MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This” for Shadows Coil
3. Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" for Woven Mist
4. Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” for Whirling Death

Once done, you have ensured that your Wardancers will never lose a combat, as long as you remember to play a clip of the song as your means of announcing what dance you are taking.

General Discussion
Few units in the world of Warhammer can muster as many attacks as can Wardancers. Consider the minimum unit of 5. Add a champion and a noble, and then bang your head to “Ride the Lightning.” That’s 21 attacks from 6 models, all of which are likely in base to base contact. Assuming you charged and are therefore receiving their strength bonus, even knights with a 1+ save are going to go down. Opponents with moderate to light armor will die in even greater numbers.

To me, Wardancers are like a unit of demi-heroes. Their Weapon Skill matches that of a noble, and their Initiative almost matches a noble. A Bladesinger has as many attacks as a basic Wood Elves noble, and they are far cheaper.

In my opinion, you just can’t go wrong with these Masters of the Dance.

Strengths

• Hitting Power
• Magic Resistance
• Ward Save
• Sheer number of attacks
• Strength bonus on the charge
• Maneuverability
• Cool models

Weaknesses

• No bows
• Frail
• Inability to flee charges
• Poor Ward Save

Unit Options and Composition
Champion - Players debate the value of a champion. I prefer to take one for the extra attack. With Storm of Blades, you’re pumping out four attacks, and on the rare instance that you charge the front of a ranked unit, you have a good chance of acquiring Overkill with a challenge. Other players feel that Wardancers generate enough attacks without the assistance of a unit champion.

Musician - I’m a firm believer in the value of musicians. As deadly as Wardancers are, they will still lose combats and flee. In such cases, you need this unit to rally. They represent too many points and too much killing power to allow to run willy nilly for the table edge.

Standard Bearer - Not an option, but wouldn’t it be great? Here’s one gimmick you can do, though. Attach a Battle Standard Bearer to the unit. For good measure, give him the War Banner. Suddenly, your Wardancers have a +2 to combat resolution. Pretty nice, eh?

Unit Size - Not too big and not too small. Too small, and they can be eliminated by missile or magic fire before they do anything. Too big and you’ve got a lot of eggs in one basket. Plus, you will have guys just hanging around and not getting into combat. If you hit the side of a typical ranked unit that has four complete ranks, then you’re only going to get six Wardancers into contact. So maybe seven to nine to ensure that you can make that six.

Characters - Wardancers characters are lethal. Here are some possible builds.
Highborn:
1. Murder of Spites, Blades of Loec, Moonstone of Hidden Ways
2. Annoyance of Netlings, Stone of Crystal Mere, Blades of Loec
3. Resplendence of Luminescents (magical attacks are great against Daemons and the like), Blades of Loec, Moonstone of Hidden Ways

Noble:
1. Blades of Loec
2. Moonstone of Hidden Ways

You see the recurrent theme of the Blades of Loec. With the charge bonus to Strength, you can reroll wounds at Strength 5. You don’t get many chances like that when playing Wood Elves--almost too good to pass up. Also, the Moonstone is a really nice item, but there’s an obvious downside: a lack of trees on some playing tables. Still, teleporting a unit of these baddies across the table can seriously foul your opponent’s plans.

Mscl Noble
Most characters can join a Wardancer unit. I've used them to bodyguard magic users and to host a noble with the Hail of Doom arrow just for a nasty surprise should the Wardancers be charged. Be creative and consider what other characters can join a Wardancer unit to maximize their deadliness or just plain confuse your opponent.

Tactics
Wardancers suffer from an inverse relationship when it comes to charging and being charged. They are the classic iron fist / glass jaw unit. If you have to accept a charge with them, you just might be in deep trouble. It’s much better to hit a unit first, and that means in the flank or rear if you can at all help it.

As Wardancers don’t negate ranks, you’re relying on combat resolution from their weight of attacks and flank or rear bonuses. There is no standard and no rank bonus, so don’t get carried away and don’t charge the front of a ranked unit unless you’ve got a good chance of winning. Calculate the likely combat resolution before you make such a charge.

The conventional wisdom is this: When charging most units, take the Storm of Blades. Metallica will lead you to victory. If accepting a charge, take Shadows Coil, and MC Hammer just might keep you alive. Charging a heavily armored unit might call for Queen and Whirling Death, as might tackling an enemy character--don’t overlook Wardancers as character assassins. The least used dance is almost certainly Woven Mist, but it’s worth considering if you’ve been charged by a light unit, like Witch Elves which are easy to kill and have no armor. This just might save you being mutilated. Plus, you can take this dance if you know the cause is lost and you want to, say, take out a mage before you go down in a blaze of Wardancer glory.

Still, the most common pattern is this: You charge, take the extra attacks, and then if still in combat, take the ward save, and repeat. If charged, take the ward save, then the extra attack, and repeat. As already suggested though, don't get locked into this pattern. Always consider your options.

As with just about any Wood Elves unit, make every attempt to charge in tandem with another unit. Don’t rush things. Be patient and let your plan come together.

Protect these guys and gals from enemy missile and magic fire. You can shield them with Dryads or even Glade Guard. Just let the Glade Guard flee through the Wardancers: See the Wood Elves Cha Cha. Since the Wardancers are ItP, they won’t need a panic check from the fleeing unit, but this can mean delaying their entry into the battle. Saavy enemies might even refuse to charge your archers, choosing to take the missile fire but impede your Wardancers.

[DavidVC04]

Wild Riders - The Combat Mounted Warriors of Wood Elves
Contributors: Maraschino
Strengths

• Speed & Maneuverability
• Magical Attacks, including mounts
• Magic Resistance 1
• High Weapon Skill (5)
• High Strength (4 / 5 on charge w/spear)
• Cause Fear on Charge
• Multiple Saves (5+armour, 5+ Forest Spirit, 6+ Talismanic Tattoo)
• Additional +1 attack when they didn’t charge into combat, including mounts

Weaknesses

• No bows
• Frail - Toughness 3
• Magic Items - Negate forest spirit ward save (but not Talismanic Tattoo's)
• Immune to Psychology - means they cannot flee from charges

Unit Options and Composition

Champion - Always take one because they lack attacks on the charge so additional attacks help
Musician - FREE. If you're at a tournament, make note of taking one on your army list lest some jerk contest you.
Banner - Some take none at all. Others take a unit with a War Banner to get +2 combat resolution. Be aware that carrying a banner means that it could cost you 100 VPs if taken by the enemy.

Characters - A character with the Dawn Spear will really benefit this unit (-1 if the wielder causes an unsaved wounds) so if your attacks were really bad on your charge you can survive attacks back

The Great Stag option for a character is an interesting one in my opinion, advantages are that it has 2 strength 5 attacks with a base WS of 5, so it is basically a WR champion, disadvantages are points cost and the base size will mean you will lose attacks. Personally I go for the steed, this allows more people attacks with less unit frontage for maneuverability.

If you find your WR getting charged, you can take the Hail of Doom Arrow (Wild Rider Kindreds do not lose their bows). The Hail of Doom Arrow will give you some strength on a stand-and-shoot reaction.

Using mages with glamourweave in your unit is not recommended, since your mage can be assigned attacks in combat. Your mage will only contribute 1 attack dice, and if the unit dies you have lost a vital character.

Tactics

Try to hunt high-toughness units with Wild Riders. They can also be used to get into the flank zones of enemy block units for multi-charges. Wild Riders can be used to march block whilst your other units are positioning themselves, and can be relied upon to destroy small units as well as lightly-armored targets.

Frontal Charge - As with all units in the wood elf army, you should try to support Wild Rider charges with other units - the same can be said if charging the front of a unit. Against a big block of troops, you will have trouble if you fail to do sufficient wounds contributing to combat resolution. Taking the war banner and standard for +2 combat resolution means you will have to at least kill 3 targets, without sustaining any casualties in return, in order for combat to result in a draw. However, do not dismiss charging the front as it is possible to break a unit with only Wild Riders. Wild Riders are very efficient at destroying small units or high-toughness targets due to their high strength, which is augmented on the charge by spears.

Flank/Rear Charge – Flank and Rear Charges are ideal for Wild Riders - they will not get attacked back by characters with magical weapons, will provide bonuses towards combat resolution, and will negate the rank bonus of the enemy they are fighting. Being immune to psychology (and therefore unable to flee from a charge), you must carefully consider the position of your unit after combat. Against enemy knight units, pay attention to where characters are situated; sometimes, they're on the end of a unit and can peg your Wild Riders.

Sweeping – Wild Riders excel at skirting the enemy line and picking off units such as War Machines, units with ranged attacks, enemy wizards, of anything supporting the opposing army. This is when you get around someone’s lines and pick off units such as war machines, ranged units or anything that is supporting their army. Wild Riders can accomplish these tasks, and still rejoin the main battle.

Remaining in combat – Despite the loss of the strength bonus from the spears, Wild Riders gain an additional attack in rounds they did not charge. With their still-respectable Strength 4, Wild Riders become even more formidable! Just beware getting charged by other units.

Maneuvering – Wild Riders’ s