Are you planning on starting a Sylvaneth army? Come check out a great way to get your first 1,000 points, and get the most out of those hobby bucks!
Spring is right around the corner (for you lucky non northern states), or in my case around the corner down the street turn left at the intersection and drive for another 3 months…. Anyways a great army to get started with is the Sylvaneth. (Note it is quite expensive) You get great bang for your buck on points per miniature, the paint scheme is relatively basic across the board (not saying you can’t go crazy), and on top of that their battletomb is relatively new in that it contains special rules, artifacts, and magic unique to this army.
This is an army that really benefits from there army book and going Grand Alliance Order – Allegiance Sylvaneth. By doing so you can really take advantage of the special rules for Wyldwoods, unique spells, and the artifacts. So it is going to be a more expensive than normal. Currently the Sylvaneth Battletomb is around 30 on ebay, the getting started is 65, and you will want a set of 3 Sylvaneth Wyldwoods which you can make yourself for about 15 bucks in material or if you want to buy them it is 88 dollars from GW.
- Branchwych Leader 1 of 4 (100 points)
- Treelord Behemoth 1 of 2 (200 points)
- 16 Dryads Battleline 1 of 2 (240 point, 120 points per 10)
Dryads: A very mobile quick striking unit with pretty low base stats. Move of 7 is nice, but a save of 5+ with 1 wound and 6 bravery means they are a glass cannon. However they each have 2 attacks hitting and wounding on a 4 dealing 1 wound. Also the range is 2 so on a pile in most it not all of your dryads are going to be swinging. When this unit is within 3 inches of a Sylvaneth Wyldwood all models subtract one to their hit rolls against them which gives them more staying power. On top of that if there is 12 or more models you can add 1 to the result of their save roll. Add Mystic shield to these guys and this weak unit is all of a sudden much more beefy. Finally they can pick an enemy unit within 3inches of them and gain a +1 to hit against them.
Treelord: This thing is incredible for 200 points and will pretty much stand its ground against anything. Its baseline stats are nice with 6 move, 3+ save, 6 bravery, and 12 wounds. It has a range 12 shooting attack with 5 attacks hitting on a damage table (starting at 2+) wounding on a 3+ with -1 REND (crazy for range) and 1 damage. Then his attacks are a range 3 attack with the number of attacks damage table (starting at 4) hitting and wounding on a 3+, with -1 rend and doing a D6 damage. Finally he has a impaling talons attack that hits on a 3 wounds on damage table (starts at 2+) with -2 rend dealing 1 damage. If it wounds a model roll a dice if it is greater than the number of wounds remaining on that model you kill it out right. His other combat ability at the start of combat phase (not when he activates) is all enemy units within 3 inches of the Treelord you roll a D6. On a 4 or more they subtract 1 from all hit rolls. Finally if he is within 3 inches of a Sylvaneth Wyldwood at the start of your movement phase he can teleport to any other Wyldwood on the battlefield and set up within 3 inches of it and then proceed to move as normal.
Branchwych: A standard wizard model with a move of 7, 5 wounds, 5+ save, and bravery 7. She has melee attacks only with a scythe that has 2 attacks hitting on a 4 wounding on a 3 dealing 2 damage. And a grub attack hitting and wounding on 4 with -1 rend dealing 1 damage. If she is within 3 inches of a Sylvaneth Wyldwood she adds 1 to her hit rolls, and if she is wounded in the combat phase she makes 4 scythe attacks rather than 2. Finally her spell in unleash spites which has a casting value of 5, if successful take a number of dice equal to the result rolled (so if you rolled a 7 on the cast get 7 D6). Roll them and for each 6 rolled EVERY ENEMY UNIT within 9inches of her suffers a mortal wound.
Let’s talk Wyldwood because basically it is a buff to your entire army. First by going with Sylvaneth Allegiance after scenery is placed but before choosing a side and setting up armies you may place a single Wyldwood anywhere on the battlefield more than 1 inch away from other terrain. Then instead of setting up as normal, you can hide Sylvaneth units until it is your turn. Then you may place them within 3 inches of a Wyldwood and count that as there movement. Finally you can try and teleport any Sylvaneth unit to any other Wyldwood if they are within 3 inches. Roll a D6 on a 1 they do nothing, 2-5 they are in the clear, and on 6 they can teleport and then move. That is all I will cover in the battletomb, but you are going to have one of your wizards take treesong and an acorn of ages as they give you more Wyldwoods and let you move them around….
Wyldwood: Each non Sylvaneth model that run or charges across the Wyldwood rolls a D6, on a 1 it is slain. (Does not count for monsters and heroes) Whenever a spell is cast within 6 inches of a Wyldwood roll a D6 on a 5 or more all non Sylvaneth models within 1 inch of the wood suffer a D3 mortal wounds.
Now let’s finish your force. First you need another 4 Dryads (10 on ebay) to max out that unit and then another battle line troop. Since your allegiance Sylvaneth you can take a unit of 5 Tree Revenants (25 on ebay) at battleline troops for your second battleline and will also let you take the Household Battalion which gives you a bonus artifact for a hero. Let’s get another leader and your second behemoth by picking up Drycha Hamadreth (40 on ebay). Then finally let’s add a Wyldwood model to your army which is normally 40 points but is 0 since your Sylvaneth. This will let you set one up in your deployment area in case there is an objective or a retreat space you need to teleport to. If you bought the Wyldwood set you should have 3, so you will set one up before choosing sides, set one up when you place your army, and set one up when you use an artifact or spell that creates one.
- Tree Revenants Battleline 2 of 2 needed (100 points)
- Household Battalion (20 points)
- Drycha Hamadreth Leader 2 of 4, Behemoth 2 of 2 (280 points)
Tree Revenants: Pretty standard with a move of 5, 5+ save, 6 bravery, and 1 wound. They have an attack that is range 1 with 2 attacks hitting on 4, wounding on 3, -1 rend, for 1 damage. The leader has a special weapon that is the same but does 2 damage. They can pile in 6 inches and also teleport to Wyldwoods for free instead of moving. Finally they can change a single dice roll that the unit rolls once per phase. So 1 in the movement phase, 1 in the combat phase, 1 in battleshock etc.
Household Battalion: Does not do much outside of add 1 to the bravery of your Treelord, Tree Reveants, and Branchwych when they are nearby enemies. Also prevents enemies from retreating which can be useful. The main reason to get it, is that it lets you give your hero an additional artifact as per matched play rules.
Drycha Hamadreth: Her base stats are pretty amazing with 9 move, 3+ save, 8 bravery, and 10 wounds. At the start of each round immediately after seeing who goes first roll a D6, on a 1 -3 she is enraged and on a 4-6 she is embittered. While enraged she doubles her slashing talons and has a missile weapon called colony of flitterfuries which is all range table (starts 18) for ALL UNITS WITHIN RANGE and lets you roll 10 dice. For each 6 they deal 1 mortal wound to each unit. If she is embittered she subtracts 2 when using damage table and, has a missile weapon called swarm of squirmlings with range 10 and lets her roll a dice for each model in a unit.
Each dice that is over a damage table number (starts at 3) they suffer a moral wound. Finally if you use either swarm she can re roll 1’s. Her attacks are slashing talons with range 2, damage table attacks (starts at 6, don’t forget to double them if she is enraged) hitting on a 4+, wounding on a 3+, -1 rend for 2 damage. And a slendervine attack that has range 2, 2D6 attacks, hitting and wounding on a 4+ for 1 damage. Then top it off she is a mage that can cast a spell every turn with her unique spell primal terror. It has casting value of 6 and targets all enemy units within 10 inches. Roll a dice for each unit and add 2 to it. That unit suffers a mortal wound for every point it exceeds their bravery by.
So total cost of this army is pretty expensive at $255 (or make your own Wyldwood), but you get a nice book a solid force, and some scenery to go along with your models.
More First 1,000 Point Armies
About the Author: Travis Perkins
