Wood Elf Warband

Wood Elf warband
Choice of warriors:

A Wood Elf warband must include a minimum of three models. You have 500gc available to spend.
The maximum number of warriors in the warband may never exceed 12

Sentinel: your warband must include 1 Sentinel, no more no less!
Shifter: Your warband may include a single Shifter
Stalkers: Your warband may include up to two Stalkers
Kindred Youngers: Your warband may include any number of Kindred Youngers
Scouts: Your warband may include up to 5 Scouts
Wardancers: Your warband may include up to 5 Wardancers

Special Rules
Forest Walkers: Wood elves move through forest and woods terrain without penalty.

Excellent Sight: Wood elves have keen eyesight. They may spot Hidden enemies from two times as far away as other warriors (i.e. twice their initiative value in inches).

Subtle Nature: Wood elves specialize in being cunning and elusive. They dislike the loud and smelly elements of black powder weapons; therefore, they will never use them. Also, wood elves will never wear heavy armour of any type except Ithilmar.

Distrusting: Wood elves are unusually secretive about their activities; therefore, they will never hire any Hired Swords, or Dramatis Personae that are not elven.


Starting Experience:
A Sentinel starts with 20 experience
A Shifter starts with 12 experience
A Stalker starts with 8 experience
Henchmen start with 0 experience

Wood Elf skill tables:
Sentinel may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Academic, Speed or Special skill lists.
Shifter may choose from the Combat, Shooting, Speed or Special lists.
Stalkers may choose from the Shooting, Speed or Special skill lists.

Maximum characteristics
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....7.....7...4...4...3...9...4...10


Scout
HtH WEAPONS
Dagger (1st free/2gc)
Poisoned Dagger (5gc)
Spear (10gc)
Sword (10gc)
Ithalmar Weapon* (3 x cost)

MISSILE WEAPONS
Long Bow (15gc)
Elf Bow* (35gc)
Glade Bow* (40gc)

ARMOUR
Shield (5gc)
Helmet (10gc)
Light Armour* (20gc)
Ithalmar Armour* (90gc)
Tattoos** (20gc)

MISCELLANEOUS
Hunting Arrows* (25gc)

*=Heroes only
**=Shifter only


Wardancer
HtH WEAPONS
Dagger (1st free/2gc)
Poisoned Dagger (5gc)
Spear (10gc)
Sword (10gc)
Halberd (10gc)
Double Handed Sword (15gc)
Ithalmar Weapon (3 x cost)

AMROUR
Tattoos (15gc)*

*Always this price for Wardancers


Heroes

Sentinel
1
85gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....4.....5...3...3...1...5...1...9
Weapons /Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Scout list

Special rules
Leader: Any models in the warband within 6” of the Sentinel may use his Leadership instead of their own.

Infiltration: As detailed in the Skaven skill list although only ½ the total number of warriors in the warband (rounded down) may deploy in this way each battle.


Shifter
0-1
55gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....4.....3...3...3...1...5...1...8
Weapons/Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Scout list

Special rules
Aspects: When the Shifter is hired they must choose one of the aspects below to adopt.

• Stag: +1S and may choose from Strength Skills (although promoted henchmen still cannot choose strength skills).

• Hare: +2M, +1I and counts as having a Lucky Charm.

• Fox: Gains the Infiltration skill and may modify the result of one die in the exploration phase by +1/-1 if they did not go OoA.

• Badger: +1T and passes all LD tests they are required to take.

Loner: The Shifter may not use the Leaders Leadership or become the Leader.


Stalker
0-2
50gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....4.....4...3...3...1...4...1...8
Weapons/Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Scout list

Special rules
Agile Hunter: As detailed in the Special skills list.



Henchmen

Kindred Younger
0+
25gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....3.....3...3...3...1...4...1...7
Weapons/Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Scout list

Scouts
0-5
40gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....3.....4...3...3...1...4...1...8
Weapons/Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Scout list

Special Rules
Lie in Wait: A Scouts may accompany an infiltrating hero during deployment and must be deployed within 3" of the hero (restriction on number infiltrating Warriors still applies to scouts). If a Scout is promoted to a hero they exchange this skill for infiltration.

Wardancer
0-5
50gc
M..WS..BS..S...T...W...I...A..LD
5.....4.....3...3...3...1...5...1...8
Weapons/Armour: May choose weapons and armour from the Wardancer list

Special Rules
Battle Trance: Wardancers automatically pass any LD test they are required to take but may never become the leader or use their LD for a rout test.

Dance of Blades: Wardancers must always use bladed or pointed weapons like swords, spears and halberds. Upon hire the Wardancer must choose one dance to learn from the list below but if they become a hero then they may learn more dances instead of a skill but can only benefit the effects of one dance in each combat phase.

• Storm of Blades: The Wardancer may choose to negate the enemies ability to parry or to reduce their armour save by 1.

• Woven Mist: No matter what weapons they are equipped with the Wardancer may parry although if they are already armed with a sword then they may re-roll their parry just as if they had a buckler (note that an additional sword or buckler will have no effect).

• Whirling Death: The Wardancer may use a doubled handed weapon without striking last or if armed with two weapons may ignore any dual wielding house rules that apply.

Special Skills
Agile Hunter: The elf may ignore the -1 to hit penalty for moving and shooting or may run and still shoot although with a -2 to hit penalty (cannot be combined with nimble or Trick Shot).

Ambush: If the elf is charged while unengaged in a building, dense forest or similar terrain feature (determine what counts before the game starts) then the charger counts as striking last as if they are recovering from being knocked down.

Silent Sniper: The elf may shoot and still remain hidden unless the target was not stunned or taken OoA and can pass an initiative test (cannot be combined with Quick Shot).

Infiltration: As detailed in the Skaven skill list although only ½ the total number of warriors in the warband (rounded down) may deploy in this way each battle.

Heightened Reflexes: The elf gains a 6+ save against shooting and close combat hits like Dodge and Step Aside (cannot be combined with Dodge or Step Aside).

Focused: If the elf shoots at a target within half range and does not move then they are at +1 to hit and get critical hits on a 5+ (cannot be combined with Quick Shot, Knife Fighter,Silent Sniper or Nimble).



Special equipment:

Glade Bow; 40+2D6gc; Availability: Rare 11 (Wood Elves only)
Fashioned from wood from deep within Athel Loren which provides such flexibility and strength that arrows can be fired with tremendous power from these bows.
Range: 36”; Strength 3/4
Special Rules
Strong Draw: If the firer has not moved and is within half range of their target then the shot is at +1S.

Poisoned Dagger; 5gc; Availability: Common (Wood Elves only)
Range: Close Combat; Strength: As user; Special Rules: +1 Armour Save, Poisoned
These daggers are coated in a relatively mild poison that while not as potent as black lotus will still inflict huge pain on its victims.
Special Rules:
+1 Armour Save: All armour saves from attacks with a Poisoned Dagger are at +1.
Poisoned: If a 6 is rolled to hit then the roll to wound is at +1.

Tattoos; 20gc; Availability: Common (Wood Elves only)
Save: 6+
Special Rules
Protective: The Tattoos grant the wearer a 6+ armour save that can never be modified or negated be that by strength or a critical hit. This save is lost if any other armour is worn.
Permanent: Once bought they cannot be sold, lost or stolen.

I read the rules twice now.

I am not sure that the band is less powerful than the Shadow Warriors.

In contrary, i believe they are much more agile ( Infiltration and agile hunters rule) and get the access to S4 bows ( which are deadly with quickshot andhunting arrows)

There is no mage but an shifter, what may be a small nerf in comparison.

The cheasy sniper skill is also nerfed but still strong.

The highten reflexes is in the long run together with dodge or step aside a too strong combination.

The tatoos are too cheap or to powerful, because it is basically a 6+ward save. This must be more expensive. Around the price of heavy armour.

I believe your warband needs to be less powerful. In the long run i believe they are more powerful than Shadow Warriors.

if you compare my wood elf band to the shadow warriors then the leader is at -1WS and -1I but gets the infiltrate skill for an extra 15gc; the second tier hero is at -1WS and -2I but gets the Agile Hunter skill for an extra 5gc; the weaver and shifter can't really be compared but i don't think the Shifter is unreasonable.

Now for the henchmen: my Scouts are at -1WS and -2I but get the infiltration skill compared to shadow warriors but cost 10gc more; my novice has -1I but is 5gc more and then I have a third henchman type which is expensive but not unbalanced imho.

The glade guard bow its just like a Longbow with +6" range and a crossbow with only a 18" range that can take hunting arrows, now I don't think that is unreasonable or game breaking in anyway for a 42-52gc item.

Agile Hunter is just like trick shooter in that it removes another -1 to hit penalty although the extra move will need to be tested and I have added a -2 to hit to this extra move.

The Sniper skill is a little cheesy but most of the time on a 3- they will be detected (most things are I3) and I forgot to mention that you can't use quick shot with it.

I can see that heightened reflexes could get a little strong so I've toned it down a little. I don't think that tattoos are too unreasonable but I have upped the cost to 20gc on the basis that only two units can get it and that light armour and shield will provide better protection against most attacks but heavy or gromril with shield will almost always be better (this is assuming 5+AS with hand wep and shield).

hope I have made my choices clearer and that you think it is now more balanced. oh and I only have 4 heroes instead of the 5 that the shadow warriors have.

I really like it. Especially the 4 heroes- too many elf bands start with 5 heroes, each of them capable of smashing a human champion into the ground.

Agile Hunter - The 1.5 is kind of awkward. I would say, "Shoots at no penalty if he moved, may run and shoot at -2 penalty. Cannot be used with sprint or nimble."

Henchmen
The 30 gc for the youths is fair, but to put them equal to the dwarves, I don't think 25gc would be unfair. It's kind of a free bonus... providied they have a good henchman type above them. Such as...

Scouts - personally, I'd drop the infiltration, make them 40gc, and let you take 0-5 of them. Being unable to more than 7 elite elves seems kind of tricky.

Maybe give them the rule "aide" instead of infiltrate:
Aide- If a Sentinal or a hero with the skill Infiltration is placed on the board, you may place ONE Scout within 2" of that model, following all of the rules of infiltration. May not place over 1/2 of your warband this way. A scout that becomes a hero no longer needs to be paired with another hero, and may infiltrate as normal (although he's not skilled enough to take a scout henchman with him.)

Thus, you start with only 2 infiltrators, but can get more as it goes on.

Wardancers - you forgot the immune to psych. I don't think 0-5 would be unfair- they're good, but not broken. Also, I'd give the wardancers access to a Fey Quickness dance / skill (giving them a 6+ save, or a +1 to dodge / step aside.) It fits their style.

Glade Bow - I don't have the problem with it getting S4 over half range. However, I would add, "cannot be used with Quick Shot." Thus, you have to choose- a single S4 attack, or 2 S3 attacks?

Here are the double-headed spears Master and I came up with:

Double-Headed Spears - 20gc
Range: Combat. S: User. Special Rules: Two handed, strike first, backswing.
Two-handed - Cannot be used with additional weapon or shield.
Strike First: A spear user may make base attacks first in combat.
Backswing: The user gets an additional attack- this attack does not benefit from the Strike First rule, and goes at Initiative order. If this would allow the elf to attack a model that was knocked down or stunned from a strike first attack made this turn, the elf cannot automatically take him out of action. Attack the model as if he had still be been standing.

I've put in most of your suggested changes although I am a little unsure about allowing a full on run for the Agile hunter skill because I can just imagine this elf sprinting away from a HtH warrior raining down arrows on him and once you get to the high BS's the -2 wont mean squat.

I also kept the wardancer skills/dances the same because I thought that the tattoos already filled that niche... but for a cost (i've made them a bit cheaper for the wardancers but do you think it would be unreasonable to drop it to 10gc?)

The doubled headed spear is really nice but i was trying to think up a similar weapon for the wardancers that represented how the models and pictures sometimes look, when they are kind of pole vaulting on giant spear staves. but I couldn't really work out how a pole vaulting spear would work game play wise. kind of like a mini Leap (+D3 to charge)? would it let them diving charge? or let them do some kind of flying kick thing (that would be pretty awesome )? anyone got any ideas?

Running: your call, to be honest. I still don't it should work with sprint though. 15" plus a shot is too much.

Wardancers/Fey: Well, you can keep the tattoos. I just like the idea of learning a Wardancer only skill (probably better than a dance, so he can use it all the time), that lets him avoid stuff. Nothing says badass like the ability to SIDE STEP A BULLET. And wardancers are baddass.

Tattoos: Yeah, I feel your pain. Master and I were kicking about the Athel Loren campaign- it would feature the fierce, mildly psychotic warbands like Slayers, Wardancers, Savage Orcs and Witch Elves. Amongst a few other themes, Tattoos would be a common armor that many of the "cannot wear armor" people could wear. I've written several versions of them, but none of them have been the same twice.

Let's look at the price:
6+, cannot be traded or used with other armor. Cost: Same as Toughened Leathers, 7gc.
Cannot be Stolen. Cost: hard to say. +0-5gc
Cannot be reduced or ignored. Cost: again, hard to say. Prob +5-10gc.

So, you're looking at something between 12 to 22gc. Thus, 15 or 20gc is probably a safe price, although 10gc is probably too low.



Leaping - well, I suppose you could just let them learn leap as they become a leader. Although, here's an alternative:

Bounding - Wardancers automatically pass any jumping tests when crossing any gaps.

Thus, they "leap" without actually increasing their skills.

Although, the models are neat.

Wardancers. They say hello... with their feet.

I oversaw the 4 hero thing, so this is fine and definitively more balanced than he shadow warriors.

I would like to a mage in the band, maybe as alternative oto the shape shifter?

I do not agree to the cost of the tatoos. This is a non modifiable save. It has to be more expensive than light armour.

I like the changes you made a lot.

it is on a good way

Remember, though, that it doesn't stack with shields. It's essentially an upgrade of the 7gc toughened leathers. So, how much is "unmodified" worth? A tough questions, but the Lizardmen get it pretty cheap.

the 20/15GC price on tatoos doesn't seam bad.
It is un modified but at the same time you put armour on and it's lost.
If it was a ward save then I would agree hike it's price up more, but as it is now it's more expencive then it's armour counter part (double cost) but can't be modded or lost.

As to the idea of putting a magic user in with this Warband, I don't think it's needed. I think it works well as is. Ya a magic user would be nice for elves but the shifter fits the slot of magic well enough.
But if you were to want to allow a magic user I say allow the Shifter accsess to the Aspects of Owl (or some other) that makes the Shifter a Mage with accsess to the Atha Loran (sp) lore of magic (or a new one).
That way you still can have a magic user if you chose.
If you feel that the Aspects of Owl is too good with this then charge a little gold on top of that (10 GC max). Also remember Academic is not open to the Shifter so that is a small handy cap to the Shifter... unless by taking Owl then Academic replaces accsess to Combat skills.