Thoughts from the forest

Following up from my musings about the Empire, my thoughts have been distracted by all the flowering trees in the Hutt. This naturally brings out the Woodie in me (tree hugger that I am-blame my father and having a garden with "potential"). So I thought I would share my current beliefs on how I think I want a woodie list to look like.


First off a history:

I've had mixed success with the woodies in 8th. Vs some armies I have kicked some butt, vs others I have fallen apart. Success has ridden on how quickly the Treeman dies (or not) and if my Treekin are gatewayed/flamed to death. Shooting has played a biggish part, but mainly I have stuck to a rather boring formula of:
lvl4, bsb, bwraith with cluster, 20 GG, 10 GG, 2x 10 Dryads, 6 treekin, 2 eagles, Treeman and then spare points on more trees.

Works wonders, but is really let down by the fact that it does alright in most areas, but excels at none. Compare that to my Empire (excels bait and trap based combat with plenty of scary and owns both magic phases) and my High Elves (excels at straight up fisty cuffs and dangerous in the magic phase).

So what do woodies excel at? Shooting and avoidance. s4 move and shoot is awesome. small units that pack a punch is awesome. I have not been utilising these 2 aspects of the woodies. Instead I have been relying on the t5/s5 to win the day...and at 390 points a units that's a lot of hope (especially when for LESS points my 18 swordmasters will walk over 6 treekin without blinking).

So I have decided to focus on emphasising the shooting and the avoidance to create Elven based woodie lists.

Oh-and my 46 Eternal Guard are still yet to get removed from their box-as beautiful as they are. Here's hoping the drop in cost and/or get awesome (at least to 7th levels of awesomeness when they were deceptively amazing).

Below are 3 lists that I have worked on in succession to help demonstrate my thought process:

First list:
lvl4: scroll life         275
BSB: LA, Abane, HODA        132
20 GGuard: m, sb-flame        268
4x10 GGuard: m            504
2x10 GGuard: m, sb            276
5 wardancers            90
5 wardancers            90
4 Tkin                260
5 Waywatchers            120
2 Eagles            100
Treeman                285
2399

So this list is like "ZOMG SHOOTING" Will waltz over any army that has no calv/isnt skaven. However, 285 points are just asking to be pitted/stone throwered/gatwayed etc. It's good, but excessive and falls apart vs certain things.

Second list:
lvl4: scroll, life        275
BSB:  Abane, HODA:         130
20 GG: m, sb-flame        268
4x10 GGuard: m            504
2x10 GGuard: m, sb            276
5 wardancers            90
5 wardancers            90
6 Tkin                390
6 wildriders: (m)        156
5 Waywatchers            120
2 Eagles            100
2399

SO similar theme to first list except the pit target has disappeared and in its place is a combat effective unit of treekin and some wildriders. Wildriders are a bit controversial in anyone's language in 8th because they have lost their main 7th role...sit back, chose target and pounce. I ague that they can still do this-they just have to be a bit savvy about it-and vanguard really helps here. Deploy 3 wide to reduce return attacks. Hit target, win combat and reform to wide formation to maximise special rule. Also gives a unit to charge forward at chariots etc. HOWEVER, the list is still vulnerable to storm banner and will get crowded out and block its own line of sight...shooting is excessive.

Third and latest draft:
 lvl4: scroll, life        275
A.Highborn: La, 2hw, Dhelm, BoLoren, a.bodkins, SoRB 289
BSB: LA, Abane, HODA         132
19 GG: m, sb-flame        256
2x10 GGuard: M            252
2x10 GGuard: m, sb            276
5 wardancers            90
5 wardancers            90
6 Tkin                390
5 wildriders: (m)        130
5 Waywatchers            120
2 Eagles            100
2400

So dropping 21 archers, 1 wildrider to gain the machine gun alter with uber defensive kit and 6 s4 attacks. This guy has it all. Deals with the things woodies struggle with (armoured knights, stanks) and adds a nasty combat charge. 6 s4 attacks alongside the wildriders and the target unit is losing that combat! List is now almost competitive vs Skaven too. Less shooting to be affected by Storm Banner and more small combat units to get multicharges going + enough fast units to get to the greyseer quickly. Still very vulnerable to the 13th...but what isnt really? (Tune in next week for my Horde of Inner Circle Knights list). If I was tabled by anything other than panzer division Skaven I would feel like I had played a crap game/really bad luck.

But vs other armies?
OnG-can deal with chariots, manglers, doomdiver and blocks of troops are just blocks of troops
WoC-Hell cannon will be an issue, but enough s4 shooting and KB to dent the warriors for clean up.
Delves-Dark what? List is effectively shadow magic proof and will out shoot anything that gets sent near it.
Empire- Stank can be wounded now (ignore armour woot!). lightly armoured troops die just as easily as the always have to bowfire and no real artillery targets except the alter (so get to combat fast or get smart about positioning for shooting at stank)
Helves: same as the Delves. More likely to see a dragon-but KB galore and bowfire will win the day.
DoC-hmmmm lots of t3 will suffer. Alter and Wildriders might find the siren annoying, and Greater Demons will require concentrated bow fire-but not impossible to fell one.
Brets- KNIGHTS ARE ANNOYING. Shoot lots to get past the armour! Treekin and wardancers will be king here.
Lizards- well hmmmmm shoot out the skirmishers, kill the steg and hope the Slann doesnt finish you off!
Tkings- yet to play them, but plenty of shooting to get the chariots and warsphinxs
Ogres-the new kids on the block...approach with caution...hopefully can kill enough with shooting before crying
Beastmen- well...list is very shadow proof, so that's them sorted.

So hopefully my reasoning is sound and the list is effective. If I cant get my Helves painted up for the next event (looking unlikely due to all the effort etc being put in), will very much consider rocking a list like this to see how it rolls.