Librarium Online Wood Elf Tactica (WiP)

[Skarsgard]

The Spellsingers
Contributors: Skarsgard

Strengths

• Ability to cast spells
• Come with a bow
• Good leadership

Weaknesses

• Only one choice in Lore
• Expensive

Uses & Composition

The Spellsinger has several options open to it. First you may choose to make it a Glamourweave Kin, making it a Forest Spirit with all the benefits associated with that. If you choose to upgrade the character this way then you must purchase an elven steed for it, enabling it to join Wildrider units for extra protection. This Kin is excellent in “pure” Forest Spirit armies as it lends some variety to an otherwise bland list.
The other option is to upgrade it to a level 2 caster. This should be considered carefully as the upgrade makes your Spellsinger much more expensive, for a little more power. If you’re playing a defensive magic phase then this upgrade is a waste of points. If, however, you are planning on having a magic heavy list then the upgrade is almost mandatory.
Using the Spellsinger is fairly easy for the most part, the defensive ones can sit back with a unit of Glade Guard and fire their bows and dispel spells as they see fit. Offensive ones may need to join another unit and get a little closer to the action to get into range of some of the spells from the Althel Loren list. A Wardancer unit makes an excellent bodyguard for the Spellsinger as it provides it with Immunity to Psychology and magic resistance. Just make sure to keep the Spellsinger out of harms way for both situations, especially if your Spellsinger is also your general. Not only will their loss cripple your magic defense but it will also give your opponent a lot of victory points.


Equipment

When equipping the Spellsinger, consideration of their role is paramount. Although it can be nice to give them the Hail of Doom Arrows and Elynett’s Broach, the reality of the situation is that there are only a couple of viable options.

If you’re playing a defensive caster then two dispel scrolls is pretty much the limit of what you can take. Most of the other equipment tends to be a waste.

If you’re caster is an offensive Level 2 mage then some of the items you may want to consider are:

• Powerstone – More powerdice means more spells cast
• Dispel Scroll – Still need to think about defense
• Deepwood Sphere – They will only fall for it once but good for Glamourweaves
• Ranu’s Heartstone – Not bad if the Level 2 is your best caster, otherwise save if for the Spellweaver
• Callingor’s Stave – If you really like Treesinging
• Befuddlement of Mischief’s and Lamentation of Despairs can be handy to eat up some of you’re opponent’s dispel dice, but remember, you can only have one per character.

[Skarsgard]

The Spellweavers
Contributors: Skarsgard

Strengths

• Ability to cast spells
• Come with a bow
• Good leadership
• Can choose from three Lores

Weaknesses

• Expensive
• Takes Highborns and Dragons out of the equation

Uses & Composition

The Spellweaver has several options open to it. First you may choose to make it a Glamourweave Kin, making it a Forest Spirit with all the benefits associated with that. If you choose to upgrade the character this way then you must purchase an elven steed or Unicorn for it, enabling it to join Wildrider units for extra protection. This Kin is excellent in “pure” Forest Spirit armies as it lends some variety to an otherwise bland list.
The Unicorn also provides it with some hitting power; it could conceivably take on warmachine crews and lone wizards. In addition to some close combat power the Unicorn provides magic resistance.
The other option is to upgrade it to a level 4 caster. If you are planning on having a magic heavy list then the upgrade is almost mandatory.
Using the Spellweaver really depends on what Lore you have taken. The ranges of the Spells will be a large determining factor. All the considerations for protection of Spellsingers also applies to the Spellweaver. I will highlight two common uses of the Spellweaver.

Defense. Here we can take a Level 3 weaver with the Wand of Wych Elm and a dispel scroll. This provides a moderate level of defense on it’s own but when combined with a dispel dice generator like a Branchwraith with the Cluster of Radients, it becomes a lot better. Other options are to load up on dispel scrolls and shut down the magic phase as much as you can. It should be noted that for defense purposes, unless want to have more heroes, it is almost always better to have two Spellsingers. This is generally a waste of a Lord option.

Offense. As a part of a larger magic force including some Spellsingers or Branchwraiths the Spellweaver can add variety to your magical assault. Lore’s should be carefully considered to suit your opponent. The trouble with Wood Elf magic offense is that it is very expensive and lowers your model count significantly.



Equipment

When equipping the Spellweaver, consideration of their role is paramount. Although it can be nice to give them the Hail of Doom Arrows and Elynett’s Broach, the reality of the situation is that there are only a couple of viable options. One thing the Spellweaver makes possible is that you can buy a ward save out of your magic item allotment without rendering your magic phase impotent.

Suitable equipment for a defensive caster has already been mentioned and the choice between the Wand of Wych Elm and multiple Dispel Scrolls depends on the rest of your army. A force with a lot of magic resistance, Wardancers, Unicrons and Wildriders, would find the Wand to be a superior choice, otherwise the scrolls are better. The Divination Orb tends to be a fairly poor choice as it is only of any use against high level casters and as such would not be used in most games.

If you’re caster is an offensive Level 4 mage then some of the items you may want to consider are:

• Powerstone – More powerdice means more spells cast
• Dispel Scroll – Still need to think about defense
• Deepwood Sphere – They will only fall for it once but good for Glamourweaves
• Ranu’s Heartstone – A very good choice for the Spellweaver
• Callingor’s Stave – If you really like Treesinging, not recommended as it is useless for the other Lores
• Befuddlement of Mischief’s and Lamentation of Despairs can be handy to eat up some of you’re opponent’s dispel dice, but remember, you can only have one per character.

[Skarsgard]

The Forest Dragon
Contributors: Skarsgard

Strengths

• High Strength
• High Toughness
• Many Wounds
• Many Attacks
• 3+ Scaly Skin
• Fly
• Causes Terror
• Breath weapon

Weaknesses

• High Cost
• Needs a Highborn
• Uses additional Hero slot
• Fragile Rider
• Limits Kindred available to Highborn

Uses & Composition
The Forest Dragon provides a unique asset to the Wood Elf list, a flyer that can do almost everything a Treeman could do.

The Seed of Terror. With its ability to cause terror and fly the Forest Dragon is perfect for causing panic in your opponent’s army. The mobility allows you to get behind units, threatening others and causing terror checks where possible.

Pick off the Stragglers. The Forest Dragon allows you to take on small unit’s front on with relative ease; prime targets are archers, detachment and warmachine crews. Even small cavalry units are fair game as generally both the dragon and rider can have a lot of fairly high strength attacks.

Flanker. The Forest Dragon has unit strength greater than 5. This is a great boon as it means the Forest Dragon and Highborn can hit a ranked up unit in the flank/rear and have a good chance of winning due to negating the enemy units rank bonus.

Support. The mobility of the Forest Dragon allows it to respond to changing battlefield situations rapidly and support another unit in a charge. It also allows the Wood Elf player the opportunity to move their general and leadership bubble to crucial combats as it is better to test on Ld10 than Ld8.

Fire Support. Depending on the role of the Highborn the unit can sit back and snipe at enemy units and use its breath weapon on anything that tries to get to close. Between the Highborn and Dragon they could inflict a lot of damage on a unit, potentially forcing panic checks.

Warmachine Hunter. The Dragon is perfect for taking out warmachines that may be posing a problem to your army. The speed of the dragon means that you can almost guarrantee a second turn charge on the hapless warmachine crew. Sometime just the terror aspect alone will be enough to have them running.

Keeping the rider alive. The Highborn is, oddly, the weakest link in the equation when it comes to the Dragon. Keeping the Highborn alive is paramount as the dragon may slip from your control when the rider dies. The biggest threat is from shooting so items like the Stone of Crystal Mere and the Glamourweave are invaluable to their survival. Other items that can help are the Annoyance of Netlings which protect both the rider and dragon in a challenge, the Fimbular Shard which makes them harder to hit and the Rhymer's Harp can give a true ward save to both the rider and the mount.

The Sisters of Twilight. The sisters can come mounted on a Forest Dragon and they are discussed in detail in the tactica provided by Remind.

Tactics

A large majority of the tactics of the Dragon depends on how the Highborn is configured. Essentially the Highborn determines the Dragons battlefield role. Any of the roles above can be accomplished with even the most generic Highborn as long as they take certain things. Even for a sniper Highborn a non-magical spear is almost a must, the extra bonus to strength on the charge could make all the difference. Light armour and shield will help against the shooting attacks, as well as the randomisation between the rider and mount. The high toughness and scaly save will protect it from most missile fire but beware warmachines. One well placed cannon ball could end it all. A major consideration when taking the Forest Dragon is the points it will use up and how it will limit what else you can have. It should be considered carefully and put into the context of your list.

Some magical equipment to consider are:

Helm of the Hunt – For an aggressive setup
Dawnspear – For extra protection in combat
Stone of Crystal Mere – Protection from warmachines
Hail of Doom Arrows – Face it, a first turn charge is unlikely

[DavidWC09]

Treeman
Contributors: DavidVC04

In Gaming Terms
First off, for those of you deciding on whether or not to use a Treeman, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"

Mind you, I'm not saying that you must always field one in a Wood Elves army, not in any sense. I'm saying you need to own a Treeman model of your choice that you either play on occasion or, if it suits you, regularly.

A Treeman is a lot of fun to field, and people often use the WHFB Treeman, the LotR Ent, a Reaper model, or something else to represent this arboreal nightmare. If you're looking for an inexpensive option, consider sculpting your own or finding something appropriate as a proxy.

In short, opponents will fear it, and rightly so. It can swing a combat in your favor and hold a combat for the long haul. It has respectable shooting and a bound spell to boot, but first and foremost, it's a heavy combat unit.

That said, occasionally it will fall victim and run right off the table or die outright, but most of the time it will benefit your cause in defending the forest against evildoers and interlopers. Regardless, it will be a major factor in your game.


Strengths

1. Stubborn on a High Leadership
2. Moves and Charges as Monster
3. Superior Strength
4. Superior Toughness
5. Numerous High Strength, High Weapon Skill Attacks
6. Auto-hit Shooting Attack
7. Terror Causer
8. Busts Ranks
9. Gains Flanks and Rear Charges
10. Elevated Line of Sight
11. Strong Armor Save
12. Limited Ward Save
13. Immune to Psychology
14. Treesinging
15. Can Stand and Shoot without Line of Sight
16. Has magical shooting and combat attacks

Weaknesses

1. Inferior Initiative
2. Large Target
3. Expensive to Field
4. Flammable
5. Limited Ward Save
6. Immune to Psychology

Strengths Commentary

1. Being Stubborn on his high Leadership means that the Treeman will hold for 72.22% of his break tests Say what you like about statistics, but in the long run, as in one or two years of consistent gaming, your Treeman will hold more often than not. Toss a Battle Standard Bearer nearby, and a Treeman will pass 92.29% of his break tests. Any Stubborn unit benefits from the presence of other Stubborn units. A second Treeman, an Ancient, and Eternal Guard all make for an incredibly solid army core, the classic and oft-mentioned Hammer and Anvil. Support these types of army builds with inexpensive Dryads and War Dancers on the flanks. A Treeman's ability to hold up several enemy units can allow your War Dancer, Dryad, Treekin, and Wild Rider Units to countercharge and turn combat in your favor. Don't forget to count up the unit size of all the fear causers on your side.
   
2. A Treeman, like other monsters, moves and charges by pivoting instead of wheeling, like chariots. It allows him a bit more flexibility with his movement.
   
3. A Treeman's superior Strength makes him as close to a chariot buster as Wood Elves can get, barring Orion on the charge. A Highborn or Noble can also muster Str 6 attacks, so consider using them in tandem. Whether accompanied or alone, he'll crack a lot of armor and wound a lot of opponents. Its high strength attacks drop knights to a 5+ or 6+ armor save and wreak havoc on rank and file troops.
   
4. A Treeman's superior Toughness ensures that he'll stand up to most foes, no matter how gnarly they be. Even Chariots and Dragons will have a hard time wounding a Treeman. Beware enemies with strength 7 or greater, though, as they can spread his bark like butter, especially when wielding magic butter knives.
   
5. A Treeman's superior Weapon Skill means two things. First, he dishes out some serious pain when attacking as he will hit most oppoonents on 3's. Second, most enemies will hit him on 4's or worse with the ilk of lowly Goblins or Zombies. His Weapon Skill is far better than most monsters. With five attacks, expect two or three to hit a turn. But don't get cocky, his dice will suck acorns now and then and leave you relying on his stubborn leadership.
   
6. Between two and ten auto-hit, shooting attacks from the vantage point of a large target can really hurt a lot of units, not to mention misfires have no ill consequence. Even better, he can move and shoot, and the target doesn't even have to lie within his line of sight. He works well in tandem with shooters. See the Unanswered Questions Section concerning Stand and Shoot Reactions when charged.
   
7. Don't forget to mention Terror tests and the very end of your turn and watch in glee as your enemies Skaven or Empire units turn tail and flee for the hills. The Wraithstone on a nearby character can cause problems for the enemy. Also, don't forget to consider his unit size when determing if broken enemy units succumb to fear or not, especially when Dryads or Wild Riders are along for the ride.
   
8. Not many Wood Elves units can bust ranks. A Treeman is our army's premier rank buster as it's high Toughness and Stubborn property means that it's not likely to be taken out in a turn or two, unlike our two fast cav rank busters, Glade Riders and Wild Riders. While Treekin have more wounds and more attacks, a Treeman's stubborn leadership makes all the difference.
   
9. Similarly, a Treeman can claim a flank or rear charge bonus. Don't forget this when tallying combat resolution.
   
10. With his elevated line of sight, a Treeman can see over interposing units to shoot or charge.
    
11. His Armor Save will survive brutal enemy attacks. Always ask if you get an armor save and remember to roll for it.
    
12. His limited Ward Save will save his woody arse several times over. Never forget this save.
    
13. No horror on the battlefield will faze a Treeman. Immune to Psychology, this beast will charge an Abyssal Terror or receive himself unto the jaws of a Khornite Daemon. When your opponent asks you take a field test, tell him to stuff his dice up his scarified arse.
    
14. His bound Treesinging can boost an otherwise modest Wood Elves magic phase, especially when used in conjunction with multiple attempts of the same spell from Spellsingers. If nothing else, draw a dispel die or two out of the opponent's greedy little stack over there. Remember you can use it to blast enemy units inside woods.
    
15. This has been addressed by GW's official FAQ. It's a huge advantage. Any enemy daring enough to charge a Treeman will have to take a Terror Test and a Stand and Shoot reaction of autohits at strength 4.
    
16. So has this. His magical attacks will irretrievably harm otherwise immune ethereal and or semi-immune daemonic units.
    

Weaknesses Commentary

1. His Inferior Initiative means that in subequent rounds of combat he'll strike after most other opponents. Enemy characters can make short work of him, so beware. Attack rank and file instead of characters if he finds himself alone. Against Giants, a failed iniative test can mean a brutal clubbing.
   
2. Being a Large Target means lots of missile fire and magic will come his way. A well-placed Dwarf cannon ball can spell instant doom to a Treeman, as can an irresistably-cast Pit of Shades spell. Other things, like Hunters and Carnosaurs, love to target large, fierce creatures like our beloved Treeman.
   
3. A Treeman is expensive to field. He'll eat up a lot of points and is often unfeasible below 2000 points, unless you're fielding a Forest Spirit Army.
   
4. Flaming attacks can drop a Treeman in a hurry, especially if they're magical. Beware Dwarfs, Fire Wizards, and characters with flaming weapons, which are invariably magical, too.
   
5. His limited Ward Save means that daemons, heroes, and the like can rip him a new knot hole.
   
6. Unfortunately, our Immune to Psychology Treeman of Deciduous Doom can not flee a charge, even if you'd think something sentient enough to talk sagely with Elves would know better than to take on a Greater Daemon of Khorne.

Other Considerations
Treemen are not meant to go it alone, though they can sometimes withstand the most depserate of situations. Plan on using them in tandem with other units. They can target conglomerate shooting with Glade Guard and other shooters. Obviously, they should attack alongside War Dancers, Wild Riders, Dryads, Heroes, Eternal Guard, and other Treemen.

On that last note, you can take two combinations at 2000 pts. A Treeman Ancient and another Treeman, or two Treemen. The first provides a total of three bound spells, significant shooting, and tremendous combat prowess, along with the power of the Ancient's Spites. The second provides practically the same thing but without the Spites and the improved Stubborn of the Ancient.

Running two Treemen together is an incredibly powerful tactic. Keeping them within an inch or so of one another means that they can focus their shooting attack, can actually expect to tackle a ranked unit and win, adds to unit size for purposes of fear, and generally scares the bejeezus out of your opponents. Chances are they'll ignore the Dryads and War Dancers advancing on the opposite flank. Be careful when doing this of cannons and other template weapons that can draw a beeline through both Treemen.

One common tactic, covered elsewhere, is commonly known as "Treesurfing." The two Treemen bunker in a tree stand and proceed to surf around the table via Treesinging from them and any Spellsingers or Spellweavers tagging along. If you keep them two inches inside the tree stand, where they can't be targeted, then they can take maximum advantage of their shooting, which you recall doesn't require line of sight. Moreover, they can spread terror from safely within the woods. Some players even make a point to not engage the enemy with their two Treemen, instead shooting throughout the game with them, forcing terror checks, and preventing the enemy from gaining their victory points.

In a Forest Spirit army, Treemen will form the anchor for your army. Flanked with Treekin and Dryads, they are a true force of the forest.

In Closing
As you can see, the Strengths of a Treeman far outnumber its Weaknesses. He's fun to field and can pack a wallop. Even if you don't think you'll use one on a regular basis, try one for a few games, as in five to ten games, to really get a feel for what he can do and how to use him. Chances are, you'll enjoy the games and keep him around, if nothing else, for those mega battles when you want to field something large and brutish.

*See 1.1.1.3 for the Treeman Ancient entry

[DavidWC09]

Against Enemy Skirmishers
Contributors: DavidVC04

Don’t underestimate the problems a small, skirmishing unit can cause for your army. It may be tempting to send your forces against stronger foes or loose your arrows against advancing block troops. However, finding your own units marchblocked, your archers picked at and perhaps charge, can foul your plan and force you to deal with the enemy when your attention truly does need to be elsewhere late in the game. Also, skirmishers are ideal units for capturing or contesting table quarters late in the game. Don’t overlook them and give up victory points as a result.

First, don’t forget your army’s strengths when facing skirmishers. Shooting still works wonders, even with the to hit penalty. At short range, you’ll hit half of the time, and as most skirmishing units in Warhammer are low toughness, you’ll probably wound on 3’s. If you assess the skirmishers as a threat to your units or game plan, then fire away. Also, it's less likely, rare in the case of scouts, that an enemy general would be in range of skirmishers, making any panic tests you force less likely to succeed.

Dryads are particularly effective counters to skirmishers. They are stronger and tougher than most enemy skirmishers; plus, they won’t panic if shot. If possible, push the Dryads as close as possible to the skirmishers so that the now-marchblocked enemy can’t escape their charge the following turn.

Glade Riders can do the job, too, moving into short range to shoot at the enemy and perhaps charge the following turn, or flee a charge themselves. Unlike Dryads, though, they can not charge 360 degrees and are more limited in some aspects.

Flyer’s superior charge range can work well against skirmishers, though prepare for a stand and shoot reaction against enemies with ranged weapons. The Great Eagle is a terrific, cheap unit but does not have 360 degrees line of sight. Warhawks, on the other hand, do see 360 degrees.

Furthermore, our skirmishing units can match the speed and movement of most enemies, with few exceptions such as Skaven. It’s unlikely you’ll be outrun. Press the attack, and eliminate the threat.

In short, shoot them and run them down. Ignoring skirmishers is a calculated risk for you to decide as a minimal unit of Shades can cause more problems than a Wood Elf wants or needs.

[DavidWC09]

Use of Non-Forest Terrain

PRE-GAME
The first principal of smart terrain play comes when you and your opponent select and set the terrain. Determine terrain by using the chart in the BRB or just decide based on what pieces you have available. When you dice off to place terrain, watch where he places pieces and decide how you might counter his actions.

In some situations, the terrain will be preset. Observe its layout and determine how it might effect deployment and game play.

The second principal of smart terrain play is clarifying with your opponent how each piece of terrain will operate. Discuss which pieces are difficult, very difficult, impassable, fences and fence-like rows, or buildings.

You'll find a discussion of using your Woodland Ambush rule elsewhere, but keep in mind where you think you might put your free woods when you're placing the standard terrain. Remember, you'll place your free tree footprint immediately before deployment which follows terrain setup.

Consider shooting alleys that you'll leave your archers, north-south passageways and diagnoal gaps. Try to predict how your opponent will deploy and behave based on the terrain layout and how you can benefit from that. Keep in mind your basic principals of attacking from multiple directions; one bit of impassable terrain can spoil that for you.

You'll find Terrain on page 16 of the BRB. It never hurts to reread a section of the rulebook, especially a section so critical to the game. Terrain will effect your army's deployment, movement, magic, and shooting.

GENERAL PRINCIPALS
With mobility and speed as a central concept in their unit design, Wood Elves benefit from terrain in several ways. That said, beware the pitfalls of terrain. Whatever you do, don't ignore the lay of the land.

Line of Sight
Terrain limits, blocks, define, and even expands line of sight for your troops. Elevated positions are often advantageous. Glade Guard can deploy in ranks as desired; just remember that being elevated makes your troops equally if not more visible (BRB 8-9).

Gamers often refer to shooting alleys which are usually north-south gaps created by interposing terrain, but don't limit yourself to thinking only in terms of horizontal and vertical axes. There is an inifinitude of diagonals.

Just consider how many archers you're using and how many can reasonably shoot down an alley. Bottlenecking the opponent with terrain often means that you're funneling him into your shooting and maneuvering against him for flank charges as terrain hampers your troops less.

Hills
Any army containing shooters always should consider availing itself of a hill. Since Wood Elves archers can move and shoot without penalty, deploying on the rear edge of a hill and moving forward to gain range and line of sight is a smart move. Also, deploying back like this can keep you out of the enemy's units' lines of sight.

Don't forget to deploy in ranks with Glade Guard. You can fit 20 in the same horizontal space that you could normally fit only 10.

Glade Guard often receive charges. If you're not fleeing a charge but receiving it, then you want to be on the front edge of the hill so that you can claim higher ground for combat resolution and hopefully a rank bonus, too.

On the other hand, don't marry yourself to the idea of a hill. Hills are always tempting--after all, haven't you seen Dwarfs stack cannons, bolt throwers, and Thunderers on hills and tear you to pieces? However, if a hill is in an awkward location, don't feel compelled to put shooters on it.

Instead, place your archers elsewhere and use the hill to perhaps facilitate the movement of combat units.

Terrain and Skirmishers
Multiple Wood Elves skirmishing units can skirt through difficult terrain without penalty while most enemy troops find themselves hindered to 1/2 movement. From ruins to shallow water, Wardancers, Dryads, Scouts, and Waywatchers cross this terrain with ease. They can charge into combat, avoid the enemy, and shoot across it while staying out of the range of the enemy until you're ready to engage them, if at all, in hand-to-hand combat.

Despite the advantage, always maintain a cautious state of mind. Beware enemy cavalry's extended charge range and flyers. Sometimes your troops will find it best to stay an extra inch or two back from the difficult terrain.

Needless to say, beware, too, of enemy skirmishers, ethereal units, and the like. Remember to ask your opponent about special rules, charge ranges, and such. A sporting player won't mind telling you, and it's not unsporting to ask.

Remember that fleeing units and impassable terrain don't get along. If you have an opponent backed against the wall, press the advantage; but if you find your back against the wall, you better put up a stiff resistance else Orion call you home to the great stag hunt in the sky.

Buildings
Before the game started, you should have discussed any buildings on the battlefield. If it's a tall building, hopefully you remembered to lobby for it to have two floors. Buildings provide excellent cover for your shooters.

Any unit inside a building benefits from a stiff penalty to be hit (see BRB 97 for additional rules). Buildings serve as a viable hideout for a Noble, Spellsinger, or any other character on foot for the same reason.

Remember that a unit can't march or reform and enter a building on the same turn. It might be best to stop your archers four inches away from a building and allow your archers to shoot instead of marching to the building, losing a turn of shooting, and not be able to enter the building that turn. Be patient and you can enter the building the next turn and still shoot.

Any shooting unit benefits from a building's position, but an additional advantage is granted Glade Guard who usually lack 360 line of sight. If you successfully lobbied for a two-story building, all ten will be able to shoot in all directions. It's an excellent advantage, especially once enemy units are within short range.

Controlling a building can also mean controlling or contesting a table quarter at the game's end.

Flyers
When you flee with flyers, consider the path they would take. This includes charging because you could lose the combat or be using Warhawk Riders that will fall back. If your flyers flee onto impassable terrain or woods, they're gone for the game, VPs for the enemy.

Otherwise, terrain suits a flyer just fine. Make use of it to marchblock the enemy from around the corner or across the stream, bait charges, and demolish enemy chariots. Don't forget that your flyers can charge over intervening terrain, so your Great Eagle needs only to barely expose himself in order to glimpse an enemy war machine crew.

Terrain and Psychology
Frenzied troops can really be hurt by terrain. A frenzied Chaos or Orc Chariot sustaining damage as it careens through a rocky stream-bed will make your scouts' day.

Scouts
You save the best for last, right? If you've decided to take scouts in your army, make the most of terrain. Marchblocking from the first turn can be a huge advantage. Waywatchers can get incredibly close and even jump war machines early in the game, effectively neutralizing them. If you can deploy inside a building, do so if it's in a good place and it suits your plans. As stated earlier, this is an easy way to claim or contest a table quarter.

Magic
The Rhymers Harp will carry your troops through difficult terrain, which, despite all the praise above, hinders some Wood Elves units. Treekin, Wild Riders, Glade Riders, Glade Guard, and of course Eternal Guard all benefit from the Rhymers Harp on a character, the last being the most common use.

The Hidden Path spell opens up the terrain even more. It essentially makes the target unit ethereal from the moment it is cast until the caster's next magic phase begins. Charging through a building with a sizable unit of Wardancers or Wild Riders should make your opponent wonder why he ignored his mother's advice to always keep a clean pair of Underoos in his glove compartment.

[Skarsgard]

Glade Guard Scouts

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.

[DavidWC09]

Durthu the Treeman - The Ancient Wrath of the Woods
Contributor: Parcival
The rules and stats for Durthu are available in German HERE

Strengths
High Weaponskill
High Strength
High Toughness
Many Wounds
Many Attacks
High Leadership
Forest Spirit
Causes Terror
Strangle-root Attack
Tree Singing: see Treeman Ancient special rule.
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 and uses up two Hero slots
May not carry additional spites: Durthu may not have any other than the predacious spites in his profile.
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. For that purpose, have a look at Cyric the Mad's excellent overview.

Furthermore, Durthu's weakness of occupying two hero slots is also one of his major strengths: starting at a 2'000 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 Battlestandardbearer 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.

[DavidWC09]

Highborn - Lord of the Forest
Contributor: TheCuttingEdge

Strengths [/LEFT][/LEFT]

• High Leadership
• High WS and BS
• Impressive Initiative
• Good choice of mounts (Notably the Forest Dragon)
• An array of tactical uses based on equipment/kindreds
• Frees Eternal Guard from Special choices if the General

Weaknesses

• Low Toughness
• Generally Low Armor Save
• Extra VPs if the general: He'll be a target
• Average combat ability compared to other armies' Lords

Item/Spite/Kindred combinations and Uses: This area mainly deals with tactics for a Highborn, for more information on Items, Spites and Kindreds, refer to their entries in this tactica.

Armor-Eater: Bow of Loren, Arcane Bodkins. This is highly recommended to be used by a Highborn of the Alter Kindred. Race around the field, staying out of danger, while peppering your enemy with shots that ignore armor saves. When needed, this guy can charge into combat to support other units. Other good choices include the Glamourweave, Annoyance of Nettlings or the Briarsheath, just remember the latter wont save you from most war machines, and he should never go into combat alone unless its a small, weak target.

Commander: This one makes use of the Highborn's excellent Leadership. Kit him out depending on what secondary role you would like him to play; The Rhymer's Harp if he is joining Eternal Guard for a ward save that won't fall to magic (and of course to make them stubborn), The Bow of Loren and Arcane Bodkins are good if you put him on a flying mount, which gives you 20" movement to both line up those shots and get that Leadership to where its needed most. Depending on whatever you'd like to give him, just keep him close to other units so that they gain a Ld boost that will make your guys stick around. This use of a Highborn also requires your care as he will be your army general, and those extra victory points will tempt your opponent.

Asrai Warmaster: Who said Wood Elves don't like combat? Put this guy in a unit to even the fight! Depending on preference, you could give him tricksy items such as the Moonstone of the Hidden Ways to jump a Wardancer unit to where your enemy least expects it, have him bear the Dawnspear to minimise return casualties (a real treat for a mounted Highborn), or anything in between! You'll find the Annoyance of Nettlings is once again an optimal choice, so that your confidant opponent will regret that challenge. The Fimbulwinter Shard will make you all that harder to hit (just avoid your forest spirit friends), the Helm of the Hunt adds more punch to your Warmaster on the charge, or forego that for the Oaken Armor to have an Undying Lord. Kindreds of choice are Wardancer and Wild Rider, but remember both of these kindreds restrict your item choices, so you may want to just leave him undivided (in a non-Chaos way, honest!)

Silent Hunter: While less used than the previous setups, a Highborn is just as capable of skulking around in the trees as he is to gloriously lead your assault. Why not make him a Waywatcher or Scout kindred and use stealth as your weapon? The Highborn could even just use his prescence to make your opponent think twice about coming for that unit of Scouts, although he may just make your enemy want them more! The Bow of Loren can be used again here, with Arcane Bodkins or try the Starfire Arrows to sow disruption in the enemy ranks. Another, more unique choice could be the Blight of Terrors for a shock trooper against low - Leadership armies, Remember both Kindreds require you to be on foot, deny you a Great Weapon, and the Waywatcher ability Lethal Shot cannot be used with a magic bow or arrows, though you may shoot with your normal longbow on any turn to regain this ability if nescessary.

Mount Tactics & Principles

Elven Steed: Usually chosen out of necessity (Wild Rider Kindred), Elven Steeds aren't the great choice they used to be, with the recent FAQ released by Games Workshop stating that these are no longer make your Highborn Fast Cavalry. But if you need a cheap, effective mount, this is the one for you. Remember that this mount can't catch a bullet for its rider and the entire model is removed if struck with a Killing Blow.

Great Stag: With high strength and its own wounds to bring to the yard, the Great Stag is the business for a Wild Rider Highborn. As a forest spirit, its attacks are magical and it has its own ward save. Remember it has a larger base size though, and will take up more of a unit's frontage.

Great Eagle: While offering next to no protection to its rider, the Great Eagle is good to get your Highborn to the part of the battle you need him most, allowing a 20" move that ignores terrain and still allows shooting. If you want to make this pairing survive longer, try the Stone of the Crystal Mere or just keep them out of sight.

Forest Dragon: The big daddy of mounts, this guy takes everything you know about Wood Elves and cans it. With a very healthy stat line, plus Terror and flight to boot, you wish he was cheaper so you could field him all the time. Taking a Hero slot and a considerable chunk of your points, you'll find he is a better choice at games of 3,000 or more points. While you may take him at 2,000pts, misuse of mount and rider at this point level will be fatal.

While care must always be taken with Wood Elves, especially generals, there aren't that many was to misplay a Highborn. Stick to the principles of Wood Elf combat, and if he's alive at the end, you've done fine.

[DavidWC09]

Noble - Champion of the Asrai
Contributor: TheCuttingEdge

Strengths

• High WS and BS
• Variety of tactical options
• Leadership on par with Lords of other armies
• Mount Choices
• May be placed with Eternal Guard to make them Stubborn

Weaknesses

• Low Toughness
• Generally Low Armor Save
• Average combat ability

Items/Spites/Kindred combinations and uses: This area mainly deals with tactics for a Noble, for more information on Items, Spites and Kindreds, refer to their entries in this tactica.


Lone Hunter: As the name states, this Noble doesn't care much for the safety of a unit. Commonly, this Noble either rides a Great Eagle or is of the Alter kindred. This Noble usually always carries the Hail of Doom Arrow, with his other choices being items like the Briarsheath or the Helm of the Hunt. Deck him out with armor, shield, and a Great Weapon (unless on the Eagle, give him a Spear instead), and sick him on weaker units like your opponents lone characters or fast cavalry. His worth comes down to your choice of targets for him: the Hail of Doom should be causing a Panic test! After that, use his single shot to destoy soft annoyances such as Night Goblin Fanatics that are in your way. With high movement, he should be nipping enemies in the flank or rear.

Deadeye: This Noble either sits with your Glade Guard or rides a Great Eagle. With his Hunter's Talon and Pageant of Shrikes, he targets enemy mages within units or snipes off war machine crews. Decent rolls permitting, this guy can get his points back in the first two turns. Only weaknesses are a lack of combat prowess and he will experience difficulty agains Toughness 4 or better targets such as Beastmen, Dwarves and Ogres.

Assassin: The character hunter. Mounted or of the Alter Kindred and carrying the Spear of Twilight, he jumps on a unit, dispenses Killing Blow to a character, and escapes with a 3d6 flee movement. This Noble need not fight alone, and could join a cavalry unit, most notably the Wild Riders. This may change the result from Kill and Flee to Kill and Chase!
Other item choices would be once againthe Helm of the Hunt as long as he isn't a Wild Rider to increase WS and Attacks to get that deathblow, or the Briarsheath if he works alone. Beware characters with Unit Strength 3 or better and most of all Challenges! The former being immune to Killing Blow and the latter denying your clean kill by being stuck with a unit champion instead.

Support: The suppor choice can only be summed up by asking what you want your Noble to do if he isn't one of the above roles. Stand with the Glade Guard bearing the Resplendence of Luminescents to obliterate ethereal and demonic creatures in a hail of magical death. Accompany the Wardancers carryinga Hail of Doom Arrow and Helm of the Hunt to add Str6 attacks and a stand-and-shoot for a nasty suprise! Ride with the cavalry bearing the Dawnspear for the increased Strength on the charge and reducing your enemy's chances to hit back to keep those Riders around longer. Hunt with the Waywatchers while holding a Blight of Terrors sow major disruption among the enemy. Finally, just make a nuisance of yourself by taking a unit to another part of the board entirely with the Moonstone of the Hidden Ways to leave your doomed enemy to his fate against the fury of the trees.


Mount Tactics
Elven Steed: The cheapest mount for a Noble. It offers him no protection beyond the +1 to his Armor Save for being cavalry, and is not fast cavalry like the Glade/Wild Riders. But if you're strapped for points, He'll do the job. Just keep him in a unit.

Great Stag: Available only to a Wild Rider Noble, the Great Stag means the Noble can ride alone or join his fellow Wild Riders with his decent Strength and number of attacks. Careful though, he takes up quite a bit of space so he can be targeted by more enemy models in combat.

Great Eagle: Probably the best choice for you mounted Noble. On the Great Eagle he may feel somewhat naked, but you enemy will pay him less mind than if it was a Highborn flying around. If you are flying around his flank and rear march blocking and he turns around, you can just escape and punish him for such foolishness by charging his now exposed rear with you combat units.

The Noble's versatility means he can fit into any role a Wood Elf general needs. Find what complements your army's strategy, and don't be afraid to put him out there if thats what his job is. You'll be scared to do it because he's only one model, but when he turns a battle to your favour, you'll marvel the results as he is only one model!