wood elves starting warband.

Hello guys,

I've bought some wood elves and im planning to make a elf warband.
I've played lots of diferend warbands but never elves. I like the elf rules but dislike the fact that nearly all elves bands is focused om shooting.
So I want to make a elf warband focused om HTH and a little shooting. Im using the wood elf rules from Mordheimer.com

Can some one give me advice on where to start building my band and tactics for wood elves?
Mab'y a example of a warband witch i can do some crazy HTH combat with.

thx a lot guys!!

Hey man...

I played a campaign a little while ago as wood elves using those rules.... Here is my advice

BUILDING
off the start, that warband is a lot more fighty than one would imagine.... Their skills lead them towards shooting as they progress, but initially they are for the most part fighters with above average base shooting skills....

Waywatchers are shooters outright.... Beastmaster is a fighter.... Leader is both.... And spellsinger is, for the most part useless....

as far as henchmen go, wardancers are invaluable.... I had one become a hero and chopped up anything in his path....

The other terrific henchmen are the hunting cats.... Two attacks at S4 WS4 that will almost always get the charge and can auto KD anything they charge so long as they hit for 25gc?... Bit of a no brainer....

as per the other elf warbands, these guys are a bit overpowered... To adjust for this, we modified their max stats to limit their toughness to 3.... I know this kinda sucks, but it makes sense.... Elves are frail.... Their fighting style is finesse based.... They can be strong, but they are not tough, theyre agile....


TACTICS
Use hiding to your advantage... The fighters in this warband are a bit of a glass cannon.... If they get charged, which should be avoided at all cost, they will shatter....

They need to be played similar to their warhammer style... Annoying the enemy into a position where you can charge all their models at once, and with luck, from all flanks...

Be wary of fast fighting warbands (beastmen, undead(the vampire), possessed, maneaters, norse(wulfenvernar), mounted models).... These guys are the ones who could get the charge on you as they are as fast or faster.... This could easily crush you.... However, a few rounds of concentrated bowfire usually soften them up to a point that will allow you to take them on in HTH....

SKILLS
Choose skills like step aside, sprint for your fighters... This gives them a decent save and almost guarantees them the charge..... If you use a lot of terrain, scale sheer surfaces can be an excellent defensive skill.... About to be charged, hide behind a wall and when you are found out, walk straight up it and out of danger.... With a movement of 10, that means you can climb 9 straight inches w/o penalty.... Try to have someone follow you now....

EQUIPMENT

Unless you modify are in house rules, armour is essentially useless...

if youre going to get gladewood bows, get them off the start... I know that sounds like bad advice, but they are impossible to find later on.... And a move and shooter at S4 under 15" means in an open space, you're likely to get 3 rounds of bowfire.... With quickshot, thats 6 shots.... Late in the game when you can remove the modifiers for moving and shooting and cover, you're essentially just rolling to wound


As much as you wish to use this warband as a fighty one, the dark elves are ultimately the fighters... They are geared towards that, and things like their ability to make poison and their sea dragon cloaks speak to this

Hope this helps

You already receive some sound advice. I'm five games into a campaign with Wood Elves and have had good luck with them. They adept at combat with good weapon skill and initiative. Shooting is a bonus and I'll echo what was said above. Get a couple gladebows at start and cultivate couple shooter heroes. You can get everyone regular bows to help out in the early rounds but concentrate on combat for the bulk of the band.

Animals offer a lot to this army. The cats are way too cheap, but use them to maul opponents. Dogs are good march blockers and sacrificial units. Keep the Wild Hunter or Leader near if Fear causers are present.

They are a fun army with lots of unique features (skills, items, spells, units). Great stats but balanced by cost (except for cat) and small band size. I do like that Glade Guard have WS / BS 3. The attempt was made to keep them from having too high of stats.

Hope you enjoy them.