Here is how to play Sylvaneth in AoS, focusing on building Dreadwood and Gnarlroot 2,ooo points armies!
The Sylvaneth battletome book for the 3rd edition Age of Sigmar has been out for a while now and has some new ways to list built around the various sub-factions within. It also has some fantastic new models as well!
In this article, we will look at Dreadwood and Gnarlroot sub-factions. If you’re interested in playing any of the other glades, click on the links below!
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Dreadwood & Gnarlroot
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Harvestboon & Heartwood
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Ironbark, Oakenbrow, & Winterleaf
Battletome: Sylvaneth Retail Price: $55
Click here to get yours for less from these retailers: | Amazon | Dicehead Games | Frontline Gaming |
Sylvaneth Army Wide Rules:
Let’s start with all the general abilities Sylvaneth and move on to factions from there.
Pick one of the following sub-factions:
- Oakenbrow, Gnarlroot, Heartwood, Ironbark, Winterleaf, Dreadwood, Harvestmoon.
Places of Power:
- After territories are decided but before faction terrain features are set up you can select 3 terrain features on the battlefield wholly outside the enemy territory to be considered overgrown
- At the start of the hero phase, heal 1 wound to each friendly Sylvaneth unit wholly within 9” of awakened wood or overgrown territory
From the Woodland Depths:
- Walk the Hidden Paths: Once per turn at the end of the movement phase pick 1 friendly Sylvaneth unit wholly within 9” of an overgrown territory or awakened wildwood. That unit can be removed from the battlefield and set up more than 9” from enemy units and wholly within 9” of another awakened wildwood or overgrown territory that is more than 3” from enemy units.
- Strike and Fade: Once per turn in combat phase immediately after a friendly Sylvaneth unit wholly within 9” of an Awakened Wyldwood or Overgrown Territory fights you can remove it from play and set up more than 9” from enemy units and wholly within 9” of another awakened wildwood or overgrown territory that is more than 3” from enemy units.
- Unique Spell all Sylvaneth Wizards know Verdant Blessing: Casts on a 6 with range 18”, if successful set up 1 Awakened Wyldwood terrain feature wholly within range and more than 3” from all other models, terrain features, and objectives.
Pick a Season of War for your army:
- The Burgeoning: All friendly Sylvaneth models that did not charge and are wholly within 9” of a friendly Awakened Wyldwood have a ward save of 6+.
- The Reaping: Add 3” to the range within which you can pick friendly Sylvaneth units with Places of Power and From the Woodland Depths battle traits.
- The Dwindling: In the hero phase, you can reroll one casting roll, one unbinding roll, and 1 dispell roll as, well as the wizard is Sylvaneth and wholly within 9” of an overgrown territory or Awakened Wyldwood.
- Everdusk: Subtract 3” from the range of places of power and Woodland Depths abilities, but if a melee attack made by a friendly Sylvaneth unit wholly within 6” of the Awakened Wyldwood or Overgrown terrain makes a hit roll of 6, it counts as two hits rather than just 1.
Now let’s dive into the sub-factions specific lists starting with the Dreadwood.
How to Play Sylvaneth: Dreadwood & Gnarlroot
Once per battle, you can use the Walk the Hidden Path twice in the same turn, but at least one of the units must be a sprite revenant unit. Additionally, you can use the Strike and Fade twice in the same turn once per game if one of the units is a sprite revenant unit. Sprite Revenants become battleline.
An interesting army leans on Sprite Revenants and builds into the teleporting mechanic built into this army. So, let’s play with that theme and build a list around it.
- Drycha Hamadreth: 335 Points, Leader 1 of 6
- Spirit of Durthu: 370 Points, Leader 2 of 6, Behemoth 1 of 4
- Arch Revenant: 120 Points, Leader 3 of 6
- Treelord Ancient: 360 Points, Leader 4 of 6
- 15 Sprite Revenants: 315 Points, Battleline 1 of 3, Reinforced 2 of 4
- 15 Sprite Revenants: 35 Points, Battleline 2 of 3, Reinforced 4 of 4
- 5 Tree Revenants: 110 Points, Battleline 3 of 3
- Purple Sun of Shyish: 70 Points, Endless Spell
- Total 2000 Points
For this army, you’re all about sprite revenants getting that wound buff from Drycha darting in and dishing out some mortal wounds before teleporting away to safety. The Tree Revenants are basically there to solve that third battleline unit (could go with five sprites or ten dryads as well) and are there to contest objectives or provide a screen.
You can pair the Spirit of Durthu with a Sprite Revenant as well to really hammer a unit using the army ability once per game; if you can time it with a purple sun nearby as well to get the bonus to rend, that is even better. Don’t forget to use the Arch Revenants buff as well on a unit of sprites to get a bonus of 15 attacks for even more mortal wound goodness.
I will put everything but the Treelord ancient into a battle regiment and get a two-drop list. This will generally allow you to decide who goes first, and I would allow my opponent to take the first turn. This will protect your pieces but allow you to teleport around on your turn and potently get a turn two double turn, which would be immensely powerful in this army.
The key, though, is getting those Wyldwoods set up. Hence the Treelord ancient guarantees you get one set up in your opponents’ backfield. For my Season, I will choose the dwindling to give a chance to re-roll some all-important casting rolls I might need to get off. For my command trait, I am going to give my Treelord the Spellslinger trait (maybe cast the purple sun through a Wyldwood) then, for an artifact, Acorn of Ages, allowing your Treelord to get a couple of Wyldwoods set up, turn one.
Then for unique spells, I am giving the Treelord Ancient the Verdurous Harmony, allowing you to return some Spite Revenants and with Drycha getting Treesong to improve all-important rend (try stacking it with the purple sun)
Gnarlroot Faction 2000 Point Army List
Once per turn, when you make a casting or unbind roll for a wizard wholly within 9” of an Awakened Wyldwood, you can roll 3d6 instead of 2d6 and remove one dice of your choosing.
Seems to be a kind of magic-oriented list, so we will take lots of spell casters for our leaders and some endless spells to take advantage of that.
- Warsong Revenant: 305 Points, Leader 1 of 6
- Treelord Ancient: 360 Points, Leader 2 of 6, Behemoth 1 of 4
- The Lady of Vine: 325 Points, Leader 3 of 6
- Arch Revenant: 120 Points, Leader 4 of 6
- 10 Dryads: 100 Points, Battleline 1 of 3
- 10 Tree Revenants: 220 Points, Battleline 2 of 3
- 10 Tree Revenants: 220 Points, Battleline 3 of 3
- 5 Gossamid Archers: 220 Points, No Unit Type
- Purple Sun of Shyish: 70 Points, Endless Spell
- Vengeful Skullroot: 60 Points, Endless Spell
- Total 2000 Points
This army is all about using your heroes and the magic phase to dish out some damage. You have a lot of different spell casters here, each with unique spells, but they also are no slouches in melee. You should be leading with your heroes in this list, going for the throat while the archers in the back (try and get them some rend by shooting at a target within purple sun range) take out key units.
One thing that is lacking is bodies to take objectives so make sure you’re not putting your tree revenants or dryads somewhere where they are just going to get cut down. You could table your opponent, but if you’re not scoring victory points, you’re not going to win. If you do find your opponent in your backfield, don’t hesitate to teleport one of your heavy hitters to the back to deal with them, one thing that is great about this army is that it is incredibly mobile around the battlefield.
I will take the battle regiment battalion with this army and put everything but the Treelord Ancient in it to get a two-drop army. This will generally let me decide who takes the first turn, and generally, I am going to let my opponent go first, and hopefully, they get into range of my spells and archers if I take the double turn, that is even better.
For a command trait, I am going to give my Warsong Revenant the Spellsinger allowing him to cast spells through awakened woods, then my Treelord ancient is going to get the Vesperal Gem. For spells, my Treelord Ancient will take Throne of Vines so that he can pop the gem in a pinch and get some massive heals going.
My Lady of Vines will take Treesong to add some rend to her or another friendly unit’s attacks. Finally, my Warsong Revenant will take the Verdurous Harmony spell to help keep my objective grabbers (or archers) alive and claiming objectives. Finally, take the Dwindling as your season of war to hammer in on that spell-casting phase.
There you have it, the first few sub-factions from the new book. Be sure to check out all the articles in this series below.
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Dreadwood & Gnarlroot
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Harvestboon & Heartwood
- How to Play Sylvaneth: Ironbark, Oakenbrow, & Winterleaf
More AoS How-To For Beginners & Veteran Players!
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