Wood Elves Beginner’s Guide

For those in a real hurry: just gimme the lists.

Edit: Sisters of the Thorn are M8, not M9. My bad 🙁

I’ve written a bunch of posts about all the different units in the Wood Elves army roster for Warhammer: The Old World, and as I’ve played the army more over the last lot of months and answered questions on Discord, I figured I should write a guide for those folks who are new to the army and don’t know what to buy or buy first. This is an opinionated and abbreviated guide to helping you get started with a Wood Elf army, with advice on what units to start with and how to use them together. No doubt lots of folks have different opinions on how to do this, and that’s great – write a guide and I’ll link it here! This is a starting point. Feel free to copy/modify any of the lists to suit the models you already have.

The links sprinkled throughout this guide will take you to a deeper look at any given unit. This guide assumes you are trying to build a 2,000 point army that can be used for both casual games and organized play, and want to get there by aiming for 1k then 1.5k. I’ve listed “what’s in” and “what’s out” meaning what units are good for beginners and are part of these lists, and which ones I’ve left out with a brief explanation for why. Everything I’ve left out is still good in its own way, but needs a bit more familiarity with the game and the army before adding.

Treeman vs Dragon

Before you start, ask yourself if you are going to have a Forest Dragon in your list. The list you run with a Dragon is a bit different from the one you run without the Dragon, so I’ve created two paths (six lists). One for players who want a Dragon, and one for those who don’t (which uses a Treeman and Great Stag instead).

Not everyone likes to run a Dragon, nor is every game suitable for it. However, it is a very strong option for a beginner because a) it looks cool, b) it gives you 500 points with just one model to buy, build and paint, c) it’s literally the punchiest unit in the army list, and d) it can be built for durability.

I think the Dragon path is probably the more competitive build, but still requires learning on how best to use and deploy. I don’t use a Dragon, but then again I’m not playing ultra-competitively, and I like my Tree Spirit models.

If you’re following the Dragon Path, I have highlighted all the relevant passages in red so that you can just read those bits instead. This list is likely to win big or lose big.

If you’re following the Treeman Path (The Way of the Leaf? nope, wrong world!) it uses the green background. This list is more balanced between attack and defense, and a mix of Elves and Tree Spirits, and uses the common hammer/anvil tactic (whereas the Dragon list is mostly all hammer and all Elves).

Any advice that’s relevant for both will be both just plain text.

Key Wood Elf Concepts

Regardless of which list you are using, these concepts apply.

Fleeing is Normal

We are not tough troops. Even our tough troops are only tough by comparison. When your T3 Elves get charged, the most likely thing you should be doing with them is fleeing. This is normal and OK, and they will most likely rally and be able to fight on in another turn.

Shooting Phase is a Big Deal

Use your (usually long range) Poison shooting to take out enemy war machines and monsters. Use Fireball and Pillar of Fire spells to take out enemy units. Everything else can be softening a unit to make it more breakable from a charge.

Always Charge Together

Generally, Wild Riders are going to do a lot of damage. Generally, your BSB will do a lot of damage. Same for a Dragon, and to a lesser extent a Treeman. However, they will sometimes whiff, it’s a game of dice. Charging with multiple units is a winning strategy, as it means you’re a) more likely to win the combat and b) more likely to outnumber the enemy and actually break them.

Pick Your Fights

Use your superior mobility to stay out of range of charges or out of arc, as best you can. Sacrifice smaller and cheaper units to a charge that then allows a decisive counter charge in the following turn. This game is won and lost in Deployment and the Movement phase, and we have arguably the most mobile army.

The Core

Your choices in core are:

• Glade Guard
• Deepwood Scouts (0-1 per 1,000)
• Eternal Guard
• Glade Riders
• Dryads

You must have at least one unit of Glade Guard in your army.

What’s Out

I don’t recommend Glade Riders or Eternal Guard for beginners because they are not easy to use. Glade Riders are 21 points a model (assuming you give them Reserve Move and Hagbane tips), but are only T3 with no save and thus die very easily. Eternal Guard have to be built around, and infantry blocks do not do well in the current Dragon dominated meta (especially T3 with a 5+).

However, Glade Riders are an option for a Wizard bunker, if you’d rather put your L4 on a horse than on a Warhawk. They’re also the preferred option for when you’re taking a Dragon. If you’re going down that path, then don’t use Dryads and only take the mandatory single Glade Guard unit.

What’s In

So, it’s Glade Guard, Deepwood Scouts and Dryads for Core.

Deploy your Glade Guard in a line, outside of enemy shooting/magic missile and charge range as much as possible. You have the range advantage, and you’re fishing for 6s mostly anyway when you shoot. Move forward only if you maintain all of the above … having more room behind you to retreat / flee when charged is a good thing. If in doubt, use Hagbane Tips. Arcane Bodkins are also reasonable as Glade Guard don’t move much.

Dryads are used to protect the Glade Guard. Ideally you put one unit on each flank (if you have more than one unit), or you put one flank of the Glade Guard line against some terrain (or a Treeman!) and the Dryads on the other flank.

Deepwood Scouts get deployed as needed and as the battlefield and opponent deployment allows. Try to get them into cover, keep them out of easy Magic Missile range (or line of sight) as that’s the real killer. Fire and flee is a good idea with these guys, so bring a musician as points allow. Hagbane Tips, always. Fire at War Machines and unridden Monsters as priority targets.

If you have the Glade Rider bunker, deploy them in or near your Woodland Ambush forest, and put the one unit of Glade Guard nearby. Those Glade Guard are sacrificial if needs be, to ensure your Wizard stays safely away from combat aggressors.

Characters

Your options for characters are:

• Elves
  • With mount options
    • Glade Lord/Captain (Lord/Hero elf warriors)
    • Spellweaver/singer (Lord/Hero elf wizards)
  • No mount
    • Waystalker (Waywatcher Hero)
    • Bladedancer (Wardancer hero, wizard option)
• Tree Spirits
  • Treeman Ancient (Treeman wizard)
  • Branchwraith (Dryad Hero, wizard option)

Mounts available to characters include Elven Steed, Great Eagle and Warhawk for everyone, Unicorn for the wizards, Great Stag for the warriors and finally the Forest Dragon for the Glade Lord only.

What’s In

The Treeman Ancient is a good purchase for the army, because the same model is used just as a regular Treeman. I recommend the TMA as the Level 4 spellcaster in small points games, after which it can move over to be a Treeman. The Treeman / TMA is probably the best anvil-style unit we have, and having a difficult to kill unit that’s worth a lot of points is good for beginners. Kitting out the TMA with an Annoyance of Netlings helps protect them in combat from pretty much everything scary (possibly not Dragons). I use Battle Magic. Order of preference: Fireball, Pillar of Fire, Arcane Urgency, Oaken Shield, Curse of Arrow Attraction, Curse of Cowardly Flight. I will always trade one of them for Hammerhand.

A L4 Spellweaver is essential at higher points levels, I recommend getting one on a Warhawk, with the Oaken Stave and Talisman of Protection. This is an easy to use piece, with 360° line of sight, meaning you only have to worry about range for casting spells. Evasive and Feigned Flight mean you can keep it safe pretty well–flee when charged, preferably over another unit! I prefer using Battle Magic here too, and in tandem with another L4 Battle Mage like the TMA, you can accomplish a lot in terms of mobility and firepower. Order of preference changes because Oaken Shield is useless to this model, and I usually trade out a spell for Tree Singing, which I use primarily to help prevent line of sight to vulnerable models.

And then we get to the GotH BSB. This is my favourite model in our army, and I play it in every list. The Helm of the Hunt (aka HotH – I shortened Great Weapon/Stag + HotH to GotH for ease of reference) goes on a Glade Captain BSB, who goes on a Great Stag with a Great Weapon, and the War Banner. You get 2 static combat res on a unit with 360° line of sight, M8, T4 and a 2+ armour save. Plus on the charge will do S5 impact hit, 4 S6 attacks at I8, 2 S5 attacks at I7 and a S5 stomp, which everything but the stomp at AP -2. Pair this model up with Wild Riders and you’ll get a lot of mileage out of them.

The L4 Spellweaver on an Elven Steed goes into Glade Riders, who effectively act as ablative wounds for the Spellweaver, and grant Reserve Move so she can move into range during the shooting phase and then reposition to between 24″ and 27″ for optimal dispel with the Oaken Stave. She doesn’t need the Talisman of Protection in the bunker, it gets used by the Glade Lord on the Dragon. Ruby Ring of Ruin is also good here. Again, fleeing if charged is probably the right move.

Glade Lord on a Dragon has a few kit out options, but the one I’m recommending is built for a balance between combat output and durability. Dragons want to be in combat Turn 2, to avoid being shot at by cannons or being charged by something with Monster Slaying. The Wood Elf Forest Dragon can’t stack a Regeneration save on top of the Ward Save like other Dragons can do, so you have to be a bit more careful about where you position it. Take the Talisman of Protection and the Spear of Twilight, and charge into infantry and cavalry. The Befuddlement of Mischiefs and Annoyance of Netlings are great particularly when you’re fighting characters. Try to keep the Dragon in combat particularly during your opponent’s turn.

What’s Out

Branchwraiths offer very little value in any list, at least at time of writing. Waystalkers are kind of a tax for taking Waywatchers and again are a bit fiddly to use as a beginner, given how many points they are with no real save to speak of. Shadowdancer is a model that needs to run with Wardancers, and Wardancers (as much as I love them and use them) are not easy to use, again due to low survivability vs points spent on them.

Special and Rare

Your choices in Special and Rare are:

• Special
  • Deepwood Scouts
  • Wildwood Rangers
  • Wardancers
  • Sisters of the Thorn
  • Wild Riders
  • Warhawk Riders
  • Treekin
• Rare
  • Treemen
  • Great Eagles
  • Waywatchers

What’s In

Sisters of the Thorn are probably the most points efficient unit in the game. 134 points for a 5 wound unit with Poisonous Attacks and 4++ ward save. M8 (with Swiftstride and Move & Shoot javelins), Fast Cavalry, Fire & Flee (with Quick Shot javelins) … Oh, and pick any spell from Battle Magic or Elementalism to cast as a Bound Spell at L2. You pick the spell at the start of the game, so I roll all my wizard spells first and see what they get before choosing the Sisters’ spells. This unit can be used to screen the Wild Riders and help prevent frenzy baiting, can go down a flank and take out Warmachines on their own, can support your scouts … literally anything, because they are so mobile. They’re not a first order combat unit, so only put them against small things and war machines, or in the flank of something to get some extra combat res. Use Arcane Urgency from your primary caster to help redeploy these units to where they need to go. In a pinch, you can move 48″ in a turn (if they are in Marching Column) so don’t be afraid to start the game in Marching Column.

Wild Riders ARE a first order combat unit, but need to be protected in order to reach combat. They’ve got a 5+ Armour Save (if you give them shields) and 6++ ward save, so they’re not completely vulnerable, but Pillar of Fire and Fireball are not their friends. When they charge (including counter charge) 3″ or more, it triggers their Furious Charge ability, which means that with Frenzy they are putting out 3 S5 AP -2 AB (1) attacks each, plus 1 S4 attack from the mount. Run them in a straight line to maximize the attacks (you get one from each of rider and mount in the fighting rank, even if not in base contact), and combo charge them with the GotH BSB/Dragon Lord. They are a bit tricky to use at first because of Frenzy, so if you’re just starting out and aren’t sure where to pay attention yet, this is where. Read the linked article which has some suggestions on what to do to prevent unwanted Frenzy charges.

The Treeman is a great anvil unit, and can easily protect a flank all on their own. They are more close combat oriented than the TMA, and can usually hold their own against pretty much any unit–stuff doing multiple wounds are probably the main exception. Use them to keep your Glade Guard and Wizard safe, claim objectives or in a late game combo charge. The Treeman also functions as a mini-General for your Dryads.

Likewise the Treekin just squeak into the Treeman list because a) I don’t think everyone wants to run two Treemen like I do, and b) they are a very durable unit. The Treeman list is about medium wins and conserving points, and Treekin definitely fit the bill here. They also excel against high armour save, low initiative models due to Tree Whack, but really they are just their to hold their own while you dogpile in with other models (preferably the GotH BSB and/or Wild Riders).

What’s Out

Warhawk Riders (too many points per model for something with no save), Wildwood Rangers (situationally useful, but ranked up infantry takes some getting used to), Wardancers (I use them all the time, but they are a defensive piece disguised as attack pieces and way too vulnerable), Waywatchers (akin to more expensive Deepwood Scouts), and sadly Great Eagles (T4/W3 with no armour save is just free points). Deepwood Scouts are taken in Core.

Just the Lists

Edit: updated link to Dragon 1,000 point list to correct destination

Treeman Path

• 1,000 points
• 1,500 points
• 2,000 points

Dragon Path

• 1000 points
• 1500 points
• 2000 points

Models to Buy or Print

Treeman Path

• 1000 points
  • Treeman / Ancient
  • 5 Dryads
  • 13 Glade Guard / Deepwood Scouts
  • 6 Sisters of the Thorn
  • 6 Wild Riders
• 1500 points
  • Spellweaver on a Warhawk
  • BSB on a Great Stag
  • +3 Glade Guard / Deepwood Scouts
  • +3 Dryads
• 2000 points
  • 3 Treekin
  • +10 Glade Guard / Deepwood Scouts
  • +4 Sisters of the Thorn

Dragon Path

• 1000 points
  • 7 Glade Riders (they come in 8s)
  • 1 Spellweaver on Elven Steed (can be a converted Glade Rider)
  • 14 Glade Guard / Deepwood Scouts
  • 6 Sisters of the Thorn
  • 6 Wild Riders
• 1500 points
  • +12 Glade Guard / Deepwood Scouts
    • Can only take 1 Scouts in core, the other 8 are ‘fake scouts’ (they are Glade Guard with Vanguard and Fire & Flee)
  • +4 Sisters of the Thorn
  • +6 Wild Riders
• 2000 points
  • Glade Lord on a Forest Dragon