Wood Elf Strengths and Weaknesses
Introduction
Ahh, The Wood Elves. My First, Favourite, and only army.
I started playing Warhammer Last edition, and after playing with the Bretonnians (from the Warhammer boxed set) while choosing my first proper army, I realised the potency of long ranged attacks. I then discovered which army had the longest ranged bowfire in the game. Unfortunately, that precious 36" range is gone now (**sniff**) but the Wood Elves are still the best archers in the Warhammer world. Combined with some of the weirdest troops in the game (Wardancers, Lots of living trees), and lots of highly mobile troops, they're extremely characterful.
Strengths
Bowfire and Mobility. Every Wood Elf unit except Glade Guard is armed with a bow, mounted, skirmishing, scouting, or otherwise extremely fast. This can be exploited extremely well, as you can slow down your opponent's army (prevent their marching) with your mobile troops, while you plug them full of arrows from all directions or manoeuvre your combat heavy troops into the flanks and rear of your enemies. Wardancers and Dryads are adaptable and able to do this job of getting into position and finishing off your enemies.
Weaknesses
Armour. They are the least armoured army in the game (The only ones who don't have heavy armour [or a better equivalent {Demon save, Scaly skin, Chaos armour etc.}] available to their characters). Added to this is the fact that they have an average toughness. You must play Wood Elves with great tact, no drawn out battles, no playing on your opponent's terms, no front on attacks (with most things). If you can stay out of range of enemy bowfire (not too hard), and wait for the perfect opportunity to charge, you should do fine.
Archers
Quite a standard guy with a bow for a Wood Elf player, quite scary for everyone else. Get a lot of these guys because a lot of the time you need to concentrate your fire, causing horrendous damage to your opponent. Get them on a hill for maximum protection and line of sight. Wood Elf bows have -1 save modifier, and this can be very helpful. If your archers get into combat (I mean without them standing and shooting the enemy out of existence), they aren't too good.
Glade Guard
Well, these guys are the WORST troops in the Wood Elf army. Who needs spearmen when you've got such powerful Archers and Trees, and other more feral, mobile, powerful troop types. Anyway, this is the only way Wood Elves are ever going to get armour, an outnumber bonus, a rank bonus and a standard unit, so I can understand why some people would want them. Worst of all, they come in blister packs, making them too expensive to be worth getting anyway. Invest in more archers, or chariots, or Cavalry, or Dryads, as all of these things are cheaper and a lot better than a large regiment of Glade Guard.
Dryads
Dryads is good!!! Watch as your opponent breaks into tears when you tell them that their favourite unit of Bretonnian knights can't attack on the turn they charge. Decimate High toughness troops as you get strength and toughness 5, devastate low toughness troops too as you gat another attack and slice them into tiny pieces. This is a big decision a player using Dryads (who wouldn't?) must make in every combat phase, which aspect? My favourite is Willow, -1 attack to all foes. As I just said, use it on shock cavalry as they charge, robbing them of their attacks. Next turn you can use one of the more offensive ones (Probably Oak [+1S, +1T] to wound most enemies on a 2+, and give them a -2 save modifier) to do some damage. If your only objective is to do maximum damage to weak troops, go for +1A. Dryads are good when at S5 though, So use them against (relatively) tough troops with Oak aspect on. Often alternating between Willow and Oak aspects is the best way to deal with strong enemies. Anyway, Dryad stats ain't bad either, very un-Wood Elf. High Strength, High Toughness, 2 Wounds and attacks, and a 5+ armour save (better than nothing, which is what a wood elf save is usually). Dryads are an essential part of any Wood Elf army, and should be a part of every game you play in. The casualties they inflict upon their foe will more than make up for their high point cost.
Wardancers
Like Dryads (only this time they're called dances instead of aspects), Wardancers have the unique ability to change their mode of attack each time they fight. Wardancers can realy dish it out, but can't take it. 6+ armour (well ok, ward) and T3 mean that they are very vulnerable, and might be destroyed before they even reach their target. Anyway, they have 2 defensive wardances and 2 offensive wardances. For defence is Do nothing in the combat, or fight as normal, and if your opponent fails a Ld test, they need 6's to hit. Use this second dance on Greenskins, (Chaos) Trolls, Giants, and (Rat) ogres, since they have a bad Ld but are usually powerful. As for offensive dances, there is the +1A, or get all wardancers to hit 1 enemy. I've never used this second dance (The only enemy I've faced to really warrant such an attack was a slann, and you'd be mad to put Wardancers anywhere near a Slann), But the extra attack is my favourite dance. Like, Dryads, Wardancers are good value and should be used whenever possible.
Scouts
I've never used scouts before (They're lying on my painting table just needing highlights and bases finished, probably will be finished after writing this article), but they have a very suicidal purpose. Use them to pick off war machines, or slow down your opponents. They can also be used to fight HTH with lesser scouts (SKINKS!!) who dare to deploy in the same wood. Although your opponent will quickly get annoyed at your scouts and destroy them with relative ease, at 70 points, it's just worth the look on their face, not to mention the potential damage they can cause. They are a godsend against the armies of pure infantry and no bowmen such as skaven, beastmen, and undead (lesser extent). Often worth inclusion in an army.
Warhawk Riders
Once again, I've never used Warhawks (or even seen others use them), but like most Wood Elves they are exceptionally mobile (and/because they fly). Unfortunately, unlike most Wood Elves, they are not immune to the slowdown effects of wooded terrain, and will be travelling at a movement rate of (2"/2 =) 1" because they can't take off from woods. They can be the fastest unit available, they can be the slowest. Stat-wise, there is no difference between a Warhark rider and an Archer, so mobility and armament are the only advantages. Flying archers can be exceptionally powerful and frustrating if they get behind enemy lines, behind their archers or artillery, and start shooting from positions that they can't be shot back at. They can be tooled up as combat units, but look a bit flimsy for 29 points each. Basically, they're there to harass and annoy rather than to kill units directly, but as long as they're in the right terrain, they are quite capable of shooting an enemy and not sticking around for the retaliations.
Glade Riders
These units are essential to every Wood Elf army because they can be so flexible. As annoying archers, good HTH units, mobile harassers, Moving through woods without penalty, and fast cavalry, they can do almost anything. They also make a good body guard for your general and wizards (you've gotta mount these sorts of characters you know). Put them in your army unquestionably, the tough bit is choosing their role.
Treemen
I love this guy!!! A high everything (nearly), and best of all, Tree whack. I'm not sure if you must roll to hit with the Tree Whack (Got the answer?, E-mail me), but if it does hit, you need a 2+ to wound practically anything. No standard armour saves will matter against such a violent attack, and the Treeman can destroy practically anything in a turn or 2. The downside of a treeman is that he is not that good at taking on regiments of about 40 goblins, clanrats etc. With only 4 attacks, even if he kills 4 of the enemies, their ranks and numbers will equal the resolution, meaning that the enemies won't flee, even though they couldn't possibly do any damage. Treemen excel as 1 on 1 fighters though and are the most essential troops in a Wood Elf army, Since every army has some troublesome high toughness troops, that Wood Elves usually lack the strength to match. Maybe you should even get 2 before thinking about getting waywatchers or chariots.
Waywatchers
In the last edition, Waywatchers got about 2 pages of special rules. These all made a very powerful and characteristic troop. Unfortunately, With Ravening Hordes, such detail had to be cut back on, leaving very little left. They're not really much better than scouts, and until the Wood Elf army book comes out, waywatchers aren't really good enough to be considered a rival for Treemen or chariots (as the army's rare choices).
Chariots
Once again, I've never used chariots but I've been thinking about converting one. This is probably the worst thing about Wood Elf Chariots, they can be a very daunting modelling project to the new player (I've only been playing for a few years). Besides that, they are quite speedy, and can guard an otherwise vulnerable mage very well. Put a mage in a chariot for the Albion Scenario 3: The Ogham stones to get to the ring quickly, and break any enemies who get in your way. I don't think it's worthwhile putting a fighty character in a chariot as a simple horse will do the job just as well.
Wood Elf magic Items
Bow Of Loren: Probably the best item in that list, give it to a Forest lord and he can do some real damage.
Hail of doom arrow: Another good magic item. Give it to a hero leading an archer regiment to unleash at any scary unit threatening him, the arrow should easily cause 25 points of casualties therefore paying for itself.
Blade Of Ages: Good against high toughness enemies (not orcs and dwarfs, I'm talking about Ogres and Minotaurs).
Shield of Ptolos: Practical immunity to Missile weapons. Good for a lone character with no intention to join a unit, but since a lot of armies can't field scary bowmen anyway, there might not be a point to getting this.
Vambraces of Lightning: A lot of armies are getting magic talismans that give a 5+ ward save. It may as well become a common magic item. Anyway, This is a good one to give your lord, especially due to his lack of standard armour.
Amber Amulet: Not really useful to Wood Elves, since they don't have enough wounds (max 3) to make full use of such an item.
Healing potion: RIP OFF. Same story as the amber amulet. However The amber amulet is better and half the price, make up your own mind or do it my way and don't pick either.
Potion of Knowledge: I don't think that this is really worth it either, since the spell will probably be dispelled (anything that casts at minimum cost probably will). However, If you don't have enough power dice to cast, and your opponent doesn't have the dispel dice to prevent that massive comet squashing their lord, fire away.
Wand Of Jet: Very good. Always give it to at least one mage.
Banner of the Forest: Not really very good. A bit steep too at 40 points.
