You're in luck! I regularly game with Woodies and Empire and frequently pit them against each other (I get bored, so what can I say). A sound general does quite well against the Empire. Lots of block troops, Longbows dominate Handguns, there's the advantage of speed (which the Empire are sorely lacking anyways).
A good Woodie general will try to engage your Detachments. Quick and easy to eliminate, they will save a world of hurt when he inevitably engages your main unit. Those pesky Detachments (especially Militia) do well against the fragile Elven units.
A good Woodie general will use Fear to his advantage. This really hurts the mediocre-Ld Empire. A good way to counter this is to include the Icon of Magnus and suddenly those Dryads aren't all they're cracked up to be.
A good Woodie general will split you up. This is so he can effortlessly engage 3 of his units onto 1 of yours (never good news). Watch for Glade Riders sitting there by your units waiting to be charged. Beware of this trap! If you charge, they will flee. If he placed his unit well enough, your block of infantry will be spending at least 2 turns getting back in the game, at which point you will be several units poorer and he can do that trick on you again. It's the oldest trick in the book and it works every time. The thing about Fast Cavalry is that they don't have awe-inspiring Armour Saves or legendary toughness. A Helblaster or a unit of Crossbowmen will force your opponent to think twice (this is mainly a caution if he ever get Glade Riders)
A good Woodie general will dominate you at range. Those Glade guard are the best archers in the game. They will hit on a 4+ at worst 70% of the time. He will force you to hit on a 5+ at best 70% of the time. A mortar here is a sound investment (that fires a huge blast and doesn't require rolls to hit) and will also cripple the EG. Lots of Crossbowmen should level the field here. You won't equal him at range but you will narrow the gap. Another thing you should consider is a Wizard. The Lore of Fire is nasty against Wood Elves. If you have no Wizards, then I can't recommend the Ring of Volans enough. Those direct damage spells can and will cause the world of hurt to the fragile Elves and eliminate the Forest Spirits saves. A Wall of Fire will work wonders against the Glade Riders and Wild Riders who have to be moving constantly.
If I were you, I'd take some Skirmish units (Archers aren't that great), including Artillery pieces. Those Waywatchers will be forced to deploy further back if they can be seen. The Helblaster can be good at severely damaging units. Direct Damage spells do a lot more than you think. He should be trying to stop the wall of Fire and the Fiery Blast at almost all costs. Watch for his ploys to break you up. remember that his idea of a fair fight is at least 3 of his units onto one of yours. Wardancers will dissect a unit of State Troops without thinking twice about the subject, as will Dryads. Preserve your detachments. Flee them if necessary. They should rally and you may be able to turn the tables on him. Militia Detachments will assist lots in combat, get some.
Purchase lots of lovely Crossbowmen, they can match range with the GG and wound the units on a 3+. in addition to this, they have a Short Range of 3x the average elfs movement meaning you should get quite a few shots in. Watch for Alter Nobles. They can be a pain to deal with, make short work of machine crews and short units and can be equipped to be pretty much invulnerable to anything that rolls to hit. A good Magic Missile will shut them up though.
Finally, if you see any opportunities, TAKE THEM! If he dithered a charge of Wild Riders, zap them with a Fiery Blast, chances are you won't be able to for a while again. You'll learn how to identify such chances. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity, it probably won't come, but if you see a satisfactory chance at nabbing a unit, go for it.
There, hope that helps, kudos to you if you read all of that, you have the makings of a true general of the Empire
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-AFG
