Age of Sigmar/Tactics/Order/Sylvaneth

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Grand Alliance Order

Sylvaneth

WALKING TREES I TELL YOU! WALKING TREES!

Lore
Tactics
General Tactics

Why play Sylvaneth?

  • You like trees, nature and/or gardening.
  • You like being able to teleport around the battlefield.
  • You watched the Marvel films and are a big fan of Groot.
  • Your favorite scenes in the Lord of the Rings is the Ents attack on Isengard or the Huron wiping out an Orc army. (not that I blame you)
  • Your a painter who loves varieties of colors.
  • You like armies that straddle the line between elite and horde.

Pros

  • New battletome for 2019 that replaces the four fixed one-drop army lists with a whole host of choices.
  • We have a lot of new and glorious models, almost completely in plastic (just one finecast, which you will be needing... and even then you can kitbash one up from plastic models).
  • Easily paintable chaff with Dryads. Which is useful as you'll be painting a lot of them.
  • Almost everything we have is at least -1 Rend.
  • We get around quickly. One of our Battleline moves 7". Other stuff can teleport. If you like mobility and board control, we are one of the best choices to date.
  • Just look at Alarielle model. Her buffs and damage output are almost as awesome as she looks.
  • Massive Board Control if you can get those woods out.
  • Kurnoth Hunters. Even by heavy infantry standard in AoS, absolute damage monsters. They will do a lot of heavy lifting.
  • Great, often colourful paint schemes. Whether you want your trees to be in full bloom, fiery autumn or paint them as a haunted ghastly forest, you have a lot of choices.
  • Lorewise, we boast one of the leaders of an entire realm and two survivors from the World-That-Was (three if you count the Spirits of Durthu).
  • I am Groot.

Cons

  • We are very bad to transport. Seriously it's a pain with all these small bits and twigs. Even foam packaged boxes hurt us. You'll want magnets and a big metal box.
  • Limited defense against Mortal Wounds - just a single artefact on 5+ and a glade Command Ability on 6+.
  • Those Citadel Woods have been replaced with newer models, but you're still going to be requiring a few sets of them, which is still going to be a significant investment and still be a pain to transport. Just not quite as bad as before.
  • A reputation for being no fun to play against due to overly defensive turtling. That should be mitigated now, but opinions die hard.
  • Spite Revenant hordes are super expensive in terms of cash.
  • Current terrain and terrain placement rules make it more difficult to add wildwoods to the table, hindering mobility and tactical planning.
  • I am Groot.

Rulebooks

Faction rules and abilities: Battletome Sylvaneth (2019)


Latest Matched play points: Sylvaneth Errata

Core rules: here

Matched play rules, battleplans and expansions: General's Handbook 2022-23 Season 2, plus the battleplans from the Core Book.

Supplement all the above with any Errata and Designers' Commentary from the FAQs.

Allegiance Abilities

Battle Traits

Armies with the SYLVANETH allegiance have the following abilities:

  • Awakened Wyldwoods: After territories have been determined but before armies are set up, set up ONE Awakened Wyldwood anywhere on the battlefield more than 1" from any other terrain feature, 1" from enemy territory, and more than 6" from any objectives. Soon in this article you will see why you can't really play Sylvaneth without them. 2019 Differences: Distance changes.
  • Forest Spirits: You can set up a SYLVANETH unit aside for every unit deployed on the field. In any of your movement phases, you can deploy it on the battlefield. Units must be set up wholly within 6" of an Awakened Wyldwood and more than 9" from any enemy models. This is their move for that movement phase. Sylvaneth deep strike. Exploit it with Spirits of Durthu, melee Kurnoth Hunters, and their shared battalion, Free Spirits. Trunks fall, everyone dies. 2019 Differences: Distance changes.
  • Navigate Realmroots: Instead of moving in the movement phase, ONE SYLVANETH unit wholly within 6" of an Awakened Wyldwood can be moved to wholly within 6" of another, different, wood, and of course more than 9" from any enemy. Treelord varieties have the Spirit Walk Ability and can teleport in addition to this one unit. 2019 Differences: This used to be usable for multiple units a turn and the rolling after has gone. Definite nerf, but also simpler to use.
  • Places of Power: After territories are chosen but before armies are deployed, select one terrain feature (this could be an Awakened Wyldwood YOU deploy according to order of operations... might need an FAQ). Friendly Sylvaneth units wholly within 6" of said terrain feature do not take battleshock tests. Interesting buff, it lets you sort of pick a focal point of where you want to commit to battle, and then have your, say, 30 block of dryads get to ignore battleshock while holding up the enemy.

Command Traits

A general of an army with a SYLVANETH allegiance can choose one Command Trait from the lists below (be advised that if you choose your army to be one of the Wargroves, you are forced to take a specific command trait instead of one of these):

Aspects Of War

  1. Dread Harvester: If you charged, you can reroll melee hit rolls.
  2. Gnarled Warrior: Reroll saves of 1. This used to be ignore rend unless it's -2 or better.
  3. Gift of Ghyran: Your general heals 1 wound at the start of each of your hero phases. This used to bump to D3 if near a wood.
  4. Lord of Spites: Reroll all wound rolls of 1. This used to be reroll first failed hit roll. So, that's better now.
  5. Warsinger: +2 to any charge rolls made for friendly SYLVANETH units that are wholly within 12" of your general. Good choice for turning a spirit path walk into a charge on the same turn; essential for any alpha strike lists. Used to be +1 and within 10" (but not wholly).
  6. Wisdom of the Ancients: All friendly SYLVANETH units wholly within 12" of your general in the battleshock phase add 1 to their Bravery. Best near revenants, your most vulnerable to battleshock. Used to be within 10" (but not wholly).

Aspects Of Renewal

Wizards only

  1. Arcane Bounty: General knows 1 extra Deepwood spell.
  2. Mystic Regrowth: If General successfully cast a spell, then heal D3 wounds at end of hero phase.
  3. Voice Of Warding: General can unbind one extra spell per turn.
  4. Glade Lore: General gets +1 to casting rolls when wholly within 6" of a wood.
  5. Spellsinger: General gets +6 range of all spells. Consider using the balewind vortex to double this. 2019 changes: This used to be the silverwood circlet.
  6. Radiant Spirit: If affected by a spell/endless spell, roll a dice, on a 4+ ignore the effect. Note the correct usage of affect and effect.

Artefacts

One hero in an army with a sylvaneth allegiance and has chosen to take the sylvaneth allegiance abilities, plus one hero for every battalion selected, can choose one Artefact from the lists below.

Weapons Of The Glades

These affect a single melee weapon belonging to the bearer

  1. Daith's Reaper: Additional rend of 1. Used to be on 6 get -4 rend. Much more useful now.
  2. Greenwood Gladius: If the bearer charges, +2 attacks that turn.
  3. Autumns Ire: Re-roll hits and wounds of 1 as long as the bearer is wounded.
  4. Winnowstaff: Can re-roll all hits against enemies with Wounds of 1.
  5. Ancient Barkblade: +1 damage.
  6. The Darkest Bough: On an unmodified wound roll of 6, deals an additional D3 mortal wounds

Boons Of The Everqueen

  1. The Oaken Armour: Reroll saves of 1. Used to be +1 to save rolls.
  2. Briarsheath: -1 Hit penalty for anyone attacking the bearer.
  3. Glamourweave: 5+ save-after-the-save (mortal wounds only). Great for a Spirit of Durthu tanking Wounds because he can use that to protect himself, and also the only thing in the army that ignores mortal wounds. Used to be only 6+.
  4. Lashvines: For every non-negated wound from a melee weapon, on a 6 from a D6, the attacker takes 1 mortal wound.
  5. Silken Snares: Ignore rend of -1 from enemies.
  6. Nightbloom Garland: Unit is invisible to enemy units more than 12" away.

Verdant Treasures

  1. Seed of Rebirth: The first time you lose your last wound roll a D6. On 2+ they come back to life with D3 wounds. Obviously best for a Branchwych/wraith, as a monster with D3 Wounds might as well be dead again. Especially useful on a Branchwych, as if she dies and comes back, she still counts as having taken wounds for the purposes of her bonus. Used to not require the dice roll.
  2. Wraithstone: Subtract 1 from the Bravery of enemy units within 10" in the Battleshock Phase. Combine with Spite-Revenants for best results.
  3. Everdew Vial: +2 to run and charge rolls.
  4. Lifewreath: Roll a dice in hero phase, on 3+ all sylvaneth units wholly within 10" heal +D3 wounds.
  5. Crown Of Fell Bowers: Pick an enemy within 6" at the start of the combat phase. All friendly sylvaneth can re-roll all wound rolls against them for that phase.
  6. Etherblossom: Bearer can fly. Durthu will love this.

Relics Of Nature

Wizards only.

  1. Acorn of the Ages: Set up a Wyldwood wholly within 12", one-use only. The old favourite artefact of the one drop armies. You can simply throw a forest-shaped wrench into enemy charge lanes, you can let an isolated Hero summon their own reinforcement spawn point, you can make some cover to make a stand. This used to be within 5" (not wholly).
  2. Spiritsong Stave: Additional spell cast per turn. Amazing!
  3. The Vesperal Gem: Once per turn, automatically succeed a Deepwood spell roll, which cannot be unbound. Sounds great.... but, then roll a dice, on a 1 you get D3 mortals. Ouchy. Good thing you have healing out the ass. Amazing relic because while you NEED magic, you don't have a lot of multi spell casters OR casting bonuses. Very solid choice. Note, Verdant Blessing is not part of Deepwood, so no autotree spamming.
  4. Luneth's Lamp: +2 unbinding/dispelling rolls for endless spells.
  5. Hagbane Spite: If you successfully unbind a spell, the caster gets 1 mortal.
  6. Wychwood Glaive: Pick a melee weapon, it gets +2 damage against wizards.

Spell Lore

All sylvaneth wizards know Verdant Blessing, plus they can take a spell from the Deepwood Spell Lore.

Verdant Blessing (6+): Casting value 6. Sets up an Awakened Wyldwood wholly within 24". As useful as the Wyldwoods are to you, this spell is pretty good. This used to be 18", part of the Deepwood list, and was more or less auto include.

Deepwood Spell Lore

Every WIZARD in an army with a sylvaneth allegiance and has chosen to take the sylvaneth allegiance abilities can choose one of the following Spells:

  1. Throne of Vines (5+): Caster gets +2 to cast, but only as long as you don't move. Amazing MUST TAKE for Allarielle and her three casts per turn, which allows her to summon woods on a 4+ and buff her Metamorphosis! Also a must take on a Branchwraith with stave to help her get the Dryads out more consistently. Note that RAW, this effect stacks! Take on a non moving multi caster and by mid game you won't be able to fail a cast and there will be no way to unbind you. This used to be +D3 to cast and unbind.
  2. Regrowth (5+): Casting value 5. Heal D6 Wounds to a friendly, visible sylvaneth unit wholly within 18". TAKE IT. I don't care about your strategy, take it. Alarielle? Take it. Treelord Ancient? Take it. Drycha? Take it unless you want a suicide bomb. Used to also heal D3 on non-sylvaneth.
  3. The Dwellers Below (7+): Pick a unit within 10", roll a D6 for every model in the unit, every 6 deals a Mortal Wound. Basically Vermintide/New Treason of Tzeentch. It's good, with a potentially gigantic damage output, but unless used against units of 20+, Arcane Bolt will probably do more.
  4. Deadly Harvest (6+): Each enemy unit within 3" gets D3 mortals. Nice when you're stuck in melee, but only really good in combination with the Spellsinger command trait. Also, remember that it gets better against multiple small units, but worse against horde armies - essentially the opposite of Dwellers below. This used to be call The Reaping.
  5. Verdurous Harmony (7+): A unit wholly within 18" regains 1 slain model (or D3 for Dryads, Tree/Spite Revs). Amazing spell, just can be a little tricky to consistently cast without bonuses. 'New spell! Is a variant of an old wargrove spell.
  6. Treesong (7+): For one enemy unit within 16" and 6" of a wood, you get to re-roll melee hit and wound rolls of 1 against them. What? Very situational and high casting value. Avoid. Completely rewritten, used to move a wood 2D6.

Endless Spells

Note that unlike the some of the generic endless spells, the Sylvaneth spells can't be used by your opponent against you (other than moving them out of harms way).

  • Gladewyrm (30pts, CV 7, predatory 8"): Ancient protectors of the spice realmroots.
    • Does D3 mortal wounds to non-SYLVANETH units within 1" and heals D3 wounds to SYLVANETH units wholly within 6" of where it ends up.
    • Pretty good for the cost. For best effect, lob it in the middle of any combat not involving your battleline.
  • Vengeful Skullroot (40pts, CV 6, predatory 8"): Spooky tree
    • Adds D3 to fleeing non-SYLVANETH models that fail battleshock tests within 3".
    • Also does D3 mortal wounds to non-SYLVANETH units it passes across, boosted to D6 if said units are within 3" of an AWAKENED WYLDWOOD.
    • If you can get that D6 off, then this is great. Given the myriad ways of avoiding battleshock, and that enemies avoid woods where possible, you might find better use out of the slightly cheaper Gladewyrm.
  • Spiteswarm Hive (50pts, CV 7): More of Drycha's little gribbles.
    • Lets you (and only you) choose one of the following effects in every hero phase (including your opponents) each turn it's around: Roll a dice for each SYLVANETH unit wholly within 8", on a 2+ either add 3" to normal moves and charge moves or roll re-roll saves of 1.
    • Great spell, however be careful when using the move bonus that your models don't get out of range too quickly.
    • Best case is to place it halfway between you and an enemy, use the move bonus to get into combat, then use the save bonus during your opponents turn (assuming you survive the first round of combat).
    • The small base size helps to stop it getting in the way of movement, assuming you point the gribbles out of the way.

Glades

Every Sylvaneth army gets to optionally belong to a glade for free, which gives you an extra ability, command ability, fixes your General's command trait (you cannot choose from the Allegiance Abilities lists) and fixes your first artefact.

The Core FAQ clarifies that if you take Alarielle/Drycha as your general and a Glade, you don't get the Glade's Command Trait.

2019 Differences: These are named after the Wargroves from the old Battletome, but they're very different. Instead of being battalions, which restrict what units you take, they force you into a set of abilities/artefacts.

Dreadwood

  • Ability: Malicious Tormentors: Spite Revs reroll hits of 1.
  • Command Ability: Sinister Ambush: Once per turn, take a unit within 18" of a Hero and replace them anywhere on the battlefield, >9" of enemy units.
  • Command Trait: Paragon Of Terror: Enemy units reroll successful battleshock tests when within 6" of your general.
  • Artefact: Jewel Of Withering: -1 to melee wound rolls attacking the bearer.

The spooky choice. Gives a reason to use lots of Spite-Revenants. The battleshock reroll jells nicely with the Spite's -1 bravery buff, and hit rerolls on top of their 3+ to hit should make them terrifying. The teleporting is only good for deep striking a single unit, but combine with wyldwood teleporting and you can also throw over a bunch of Treelords and a big unit of Dryads at the same time.

Gnarlroot

  • Ability: Shield The Arcane: Units reroll hits of 1 when within 12" of friendly Gnarlroot Wizards.
  • Command Ability: The Earth Defends: One unit within 12" of a hero negates wounds or mortal wounds on 6+ for that combat phase.
  • Command Trait: Nurtured By Magic: Once per turn, if your general successfully casts a spell, a unit wholly within 18" heals D3 wounds.
  • Artefact: Chalice Of Nectar: Roll 3 dice when casting or unbinding and discard one of your choice.

The magicy life choice.

  • The ability to reroll 1s (for free) overlaps with the Arch-Revenant, so reasonable chance you already have that covered. But might be an excuse to drop Archie, freeing up 100 sweet points, or use both to further extend across your army (remember, Archie isn't a wizard).
  • Command ability is best left for emergency damage limitation on a crucial unit that somehow got into melee, unless you're really good at rolling sixes and have lots of spare CPs.
  • The Chalice, which means the bearer well may never fail a cast, sounds awesome at first glance, but it won't make you into a top-tier spellcaster. Your best wizard, Alarielle can't take artefacts (neither can Drycha), so that leaves a you with a Wraith, Wych or Ancient. With your artefact slot taken, the only way to boost your number of casts is to use the the Balewind Vortex on the edge of a wood with the Wraith or Wych, essentially giving you a branchwych bomb (see Branchwych section) or supercharging your Dryad summoner and making them a big target. Safest option is to use it by itself on your Wraith (hidden deep in a wood) to 'almost' guarantee those Dryad summons.
    • Vesperal Gem (which guarantees the cast, but with a small chance of mortals) is roughly equivalent to the Chalice without tying you to a glade. This can then be supplemented with Spellsinger (+6 range, which you can double by using the balewind vortex), or Winterleaf/Harvestboon/Dreadwood if you're taking a battalion.
  • The trait, whilst great at keeping stuff alive, is limited the same way as the Chalice - Wych, Wraith or Ancient only. Great for keeping an Ancient alive and keeping the damage table topped up. Wraith is less than ideal as you ideally want her away from the action.

Heartwood

  • Ability: Courage for Kurnoth: +1 Bravery wholly within 12" of heroes.
  • Command Ability: Lord of the Hunt: Reroll melee hit and wound rolls of 1 against 1 enemy unit within 12" of a hero.
  • Command Trait: Legacy of Valour: If the general is slain, do D3 mortal wounds to an enemy unit within 1" on a 2+. On a 6, do D6 instead.
  • Artefact: Horn of the Consort: Reroll hits for Kurnoth Hunters wholly within 12".

The reliability choice. The CA overlaps with the Artefact as is a better version of the free one you get with Arch Revenant (now you get wound rolls too). Trait is an added bonus for any hero you expect to die on in melee somewhere - again, Durthu comes to mind. Those mortals could quite easily finish of that unit he just couldn't quite shift. Bravery boost is nothing to be sniffed at. Put the artefact on the Arch Revenant and have her babysit some Bows (with her +1 attacks and rerolls of 1), then as the battle shifts to meleem, run 18" (that plus two lots of 12" range is 42") to the frontlines to boost your Swords and Scythes. Or throw on a Wych near the bows and put Archie at the front to benefit from both reroll abilities.

Harvestboon

  • Ability: Vibrant Surge: Reroll melee hits of 1 after charging that turn.
  • Command Ability: Fertile Ground: A unit within 12" of the General gets +1 attacks to all melee weapons.
  • Command Trait: Seek New Fruit: After attacking, your General can move 6", ending more than 3" from enemy units.
  • Artefact: The Silent Sickle: One melee weapon of the bearer gets +1 attacks.

The Sparta General choice.

  • To make decent use of the Command Trait, you're going to be taking Durthu (or maybe an Ancient on 1000pt games). Similarly, the Artefact is best used on Durthu (or Ancient).
  • The Command Ability and Ability are both more-or-less covered with the Arch-Revenant. Either use this as a replacement for the Archie, or load both Command Abilities onto a single unit (assuming you've been holding back the CPs) for +2. Use these on your Kurnoths or your already powered up Durthu. Damn.

Ironbark

  • Ability: Stubborn And Taciturn : Reroll battleshock tests when wholly within 12" of any heroes.
  • Command Ability: Stand Firm: Pick one enemy unit that charges within 1", roll a dice. On 2+ they get D3 mortals.
  • Command Trait: Mere Rainfall: Your General rerolls saves against missile weapons.
  • Artefact: Ironbark Talisman: +1 for melee wound rolls.

In addition, you get Dispossed and Fyreslayers as allies.

The dwarven choice. Rainfall will probably just make your opponent target elsewhere (but you are forcing that choice upon them). Stand Firm is going to stop any small heroes from charging you.

Oakenbrow

  • Ability: Our Roots Run Deep: Subtract 2 from wounds taken by Treelords of all varieties when looking at the damage table.
  • Command Ability: Yield To None: Battleshock immunity wholly within 16" of a selected hero.
  • Command Trait: Regal Old-growth: +1 wound.
  • Artefact: Dawnflask: 6+ save against wounds and mortal wounds.

The Treelord choice. With all the point reductions to Treelords this sounds like a good idea, but with how terrible the bonuses are, you should probably just use a better Grove. The ability is going to keep Durthu's sword at full strength for twice as long (Up to 4 wounds taken, instead of 2) - but sadly the trait doesn't stack here.

Winterleaf

  • Ability: Winter's Bite: For all your units, unmodified melee hit rolls of 6 score 2 hits.
  • Command Ability: Branch Blizzard: Extra 12" shooting attack. Roll a dice for each model in target unit, each 6+ is one mortal.
  • Command Trait: My Heart Is Ice: Every melee wound inflicted on your general, roll a dice, on a 5+ the attacker gets one mortal.
  • Artefact: Frozen Kernel: Once per game at the start of the combat phase, 1 friendly WINTERLEAF unit wholly with 18" of the bearer can pile in and attack twice. It does the second pile in and attack right after the first time it attacks, and only if it is still within 3" of an enemy unit.

The obvious choice.

  • The ability exploding sixes is super deadly. The math works out as more or less the same as +1 to hit. And this is across your whole army!
  • The general's feedback on 5+'s in melee can also be super deadly. Can also help keep your guy alive - on a straight Behemoth vs Behemoth fight, those 5+'s will weaken your opponents attacks as it drops down its damage table.
  • Regardless of how you play it, the Kernel is always super deadly. But it needs a bit of finesse to ensure you pick the best moment to use it - given that you choose at the start of the phase when to use it, it's very easy to super power something that didn't need it. Make sure to use it before your general is killed too.
  • The shooting attack isn't quite so super deadly as everything else, but who cares when you have everything else above. Mostly only of use against hordes and if you've got plenty of spare CPs (which you won't).
  • If you're unsure what to take, unsure of how to play Sylvaneth and just want to throw everything into combat then just take Winterleaf. Simple. Super deadly.
  • On 1000pt games, where you can only really squeeze in a single big guy, and you really want to take Drycha, then Winterleaf is still useful. Simply make Archie/Wraith/Wych your general. Sure, the Command Trait is wasted, but the Ability and Artefact are still really good.

Warscrolls

Named Leaders

  • Alarielle the Everqueen: (600pts). As expected from the next big over-the-top God model, Alarielle is downright terrifying. Specifics? Sure.
    • The lady has a massive pool of 16 Wounds with a 3+ Save and yet she still rocks a 16" Flying Move stat.
    • She can heal a Sylvaneth models around her for D3 each turn.
    • She also has a strong throwing spear with massive 30" range and the beetle hits harder than anything else in the game. It's so damn strong it damages people standing nearby if it charges and has five damage 5(!) attacks. And her other weapon is basically the Massive Impaling Talon, but supercharged and with 4 attacks and any hit rolls of 6 score D3 mortal wounds.
    • Like Nagash, Archaon and Morathi, she is not really something you compare to normal models. She's too powerful for that. She's simply something you try to survive.
    • Three casts per turn. Use them to cast Malign Sorcery endless spells and consider giving her the Throne of Vines spell.
    • She gets a one shot unblockable summon of a Treelord (regular), 3x Kurnoths, 20x Dryads, 10x Tree- or Spite-Revenants or, umm, a single Branchwych. This effectively dropping her cost by ~200 points, and you get to decide which unit to spend those ~200 points on during the game. Remember, you've probably already got your Dryad summoning covered by the Branchwraiths.
    • Back down to 600 points (as per FAQ). If you think you can keep her alive, then she's now a good pick.
    • Her spell Metamorphosis (7+), you roll as many dice as the casting roll, and each 4+ deals a mortal to a unit within 16". If that kills the enemy, then you can place a wood there.
    • 2019 Differences: Talon no longer auto kills, instead dealing Mortal Wounds, and the spell Metamorphosis is more expensive. However, Battering Ram is now based on the model rather than a terrain piece, but only effects enemy units and Ghyran's Wrath can be used every time (for a CP).
  • Drycha Hamadreth: (300pts). Drycha is back and more pissed off than ever.
    • Now if an unmodified hit roll from Flitterfuries or Squirmlings is a 6, it's a mortal wound instead of going through the attack sequence.
    • Flitterfuries are an 18" shooting attack with 10 attacks single damage, rend -1. Meanwhile Squirmlings are 2" melee attack, also with 10 attacks single damage, but not rend. At the start of each battle round, you can choose what mood she's in, and as a result one of these attack doubles to 20!
    • In addition, her talons give another 6 attacks at damage 2, rend -2. This lady is a beast!
    • She's also excessively fast with a 9" Move that is not weakened by her damage table.
    • Her spell (6+) scores D3 damage to every unit within 10" based on a roll against the unit's bravery. This ends up being difficult to score damage against high bravery armies such as Death. This spell combos up with her relationship to Spite-Revenants though. The Spites lower enemy Bravery in order to power her damage-off-of-Bravery spell whereas she grants them better To Wound rolls.
    • 2019 Differences: She's gone up from 280 points. For that you get both Flitterfuries and Squirmlings, which now have normal attack profiles instead of mortals, but the slendervines attack has gone. You get to choose her mood, instead of rolling, but it's effect isn't quite as good. The spell is simplified, both reducing its max damage, but making it more likely do damage.
  • Ylthari: (180pts, with Guardians) Shadespire Hero takes root in AOS.
    • Requires you to bring Ylthari's Guardians along with.
    • Similar to a Branchwych with a bit more melee power and is labelled a thornwych.
    • Re-rolls wound rolls of 1.
    • Her spell (6+) is a supercharged arcane bolt, giving you an average of 2 mortals per cast.
    • Might be best leaving her for Shadespire. You're paying 20 points more for her and the Guardian's than you would for a Branchwych and 5 Tree Revenants and not really gaining much in return.
    • Labelled Oakenbow, which as per FAQ, means that if you take another glade, these guys do not benefit from glade bonus. Which makes her now even more useless than before.
    • 2019 Differences: New for 2019!

Generic Leaders

  • Branchwraith: (80pts) Essential summoning support
    • As a Hero she sports a very meh stat wheel with the exception of her above average movement speed (7"). Her melee will offer only token resistance to opponents, big surprise, she's a Wizard after all, but when in a wood, she gets -1 to hits made against her, which helps. Although you shouldn't really ever be getting her into combat, she should ideally spend her life hidden in woods, teleporting between them.
    • That summoning though allows you to summon 10 Dryads every turn. Game breaking? Well, not quite. Firstly you need to successfully cast and not get unbound; secondly said Dryads need placing in a wyldwood more than 9" from an enemy. You basically have to put a forest in your backfield and just use it to churn out dryads, then teleport them where you need them to go. You could be looking at 2-3 movement phases before they can charge anything. If you have any sense you will keep this crazy looking plant lady in your starting Wyldwood (making the lady harder to hit, plus raising her Save like normal cover) or behind your Wyldwood keeping her out of unbind range (30").
    • Consider giving your wraith anything that bumps the spell cast (7+, 58.3% chance) to try and guarantee a whole 100pts of Dryads every turn. Take the Stave for an additional cast plus the Throne spell; cast throne (5+, 83.3% chance) then summon at 5+ (again, 83.3% chance). Turn two, another throne cast and you are down to needing 3+. Keep going and you're more or less guaranteed that cast, plus it'll be impossible to unbind. Plus in later turns also gives you the bonus of a cheeky bolt/shield/harmony cast. If you really don't want to use up that artefact slot then another option is taking a battalion and Gnarlroot - the chalice gives her 3 dice, discarding 1, giving you a 74.5% chance.
    • Consider taking two Branchwraiths. Use the second one for verdant blessing wood summonings. If the Dryad summoning wraith dies, you have a spare one. Now you can afford to be a little riskier and put one in a wood near the front lines to get those new Dyrads into combat quicker, or get those woods out further. And if that's convinced you, then maybe you want to consider a third Branchwraith. Arm them with an array of Deepwood spells and you should always have something useful to cast, especially given turn 5 (or even 4) it might not be useful to summon more bodies that you won't get into combat. This is probably overboard.
    • 2019 Differences: Just some distances changing to wholly within.
  • Branchwych: (80pts) Aggressive support wizard.
    • Same meh stat wheel as the Branchwraith, but with slightly better melee.
    • As long as she's taken at least one wound in damage, she gets 2 extra attacks on her scythe.
    • Her spell Unleash Spites (5+) is a damaging pulse effecting all enemy units within 9". It works best against the more units that are in range - If there are only 1 or 2 target units in range, then arcane bolt will usually do more damage than the pulse, but it gets better against more units, of course. On average, you'll expect 1.11 mortal wounds per unit.
    • In Skirmish, the pulse is extremely broken, as every model is a unit. So, get within range of the front line and suddenly every model is hit with rolling a minimum of 5 dice, giving mortal wounds on sixes. Most of those models are single wound chaff, because skirmish doesn't allow you to take any of the good stuff, and you've got a game winning massacre. Sadly that pulse is the only thing we've got going for ourselves in Skirmish.
    • The oft whispered about Branchwych Bomb involves sticking her on a Balewind Vortex inside a mid to frontline wood, giving her Deadly Harvest, Spellsinger, and using whatever casting bonuses you can get hold of. Then sit back and cast both spells, spamming mortals out in 21" and 15" bubbles. In practice you're tying up far too much to get this off reliably. Just don't run crying when your 5 wound guy gets wiped out pronto after one round of this. Clearly hilarious if you can get it to work.
      • It's possible to invest even more into this strategy by adding an Umbral Spellportal, but even that doesn't make it worthwhile.
    • Difficult to recommend her when you can get a spare Dryad summoning Branchwraith for the same cost, and give her Dwellers Below which isn't that much worse than Unleash Spites.
    • 2019 Differences: scythe attacks bonus is better as it is now whilst damaged, instead of just that turn. Also some distances changing to wholly within.
  • Spirit of Durthu: (300pts) This is SPARTAAAAA *ahem* supercharged Treelord.
    • The Spirit of Durthu is an absolute damage monster, with extremely powerful shooting, terrifying melee and all the standard tricks of the vanilla Treelord.
    • NOT a named character (and therefore not reduced to 0-1 in Matched Play, etc etc), but very expensive.
    • A shooting attack that is basically the vanilla Treelord's Strangleroots on steroids, with higher range, more shots and higher damage per shot.
    • His sword is just about as terrifying as it looks, with constant damage 6 so long as he stays in good health and 2 bonus attacks for being near a wood.
    • You really need those big melee attacks to actually hit. So have consider having your Sylvaneth be from Ghyran, and give your Spirit of Durthu the Ghyrstrike Relic. 3 attacks (plus 2 if near a wyldwood), 2+ to hit, 2+ to wound, 6 damage. Holy good fuck.
    • That damage table is a killer for him. Just two wounds and he goes from 6 to D6 damage. Do the math, and a block of Kurnoth's will output a lower higher end, but similar average output and degrade slower.
    • He also adds 1 to the Bravery of friendly Sylvaneth.
    • Now only 300 points since the FAQ. Maybe we'll start seeing him in lists again.
    • 2019 Differences: Other than the stuff copied across from the Vanilla Treelord, he loses the damaging shooting supercharge and the ability to take wounds from others (not that either were used much). The bonus for being near a wood is a fixed 2 attacks instead of D3. So, no practical changes, but he has gone down from 380 points! Drycha and Durthu are almost level pegging, and make for a scary combo.
  • Treelord Ancient: (260pts). The swiss army knife Treelord
    • If Durthu is a supercharged Treelord, then this is the slightly weaker but more useful version. He retains all the abilities and powers of the vanilla.
    • Compare to a Vanilla Treelord, this guy has 1" less movement and 1 less attack on its Sweeping Blows. This doesn't seem like much, but the drop from 4 to 3 attacks is actually quite drastic. And what does this old fella get in return? An extra 3 to its Bravery, 18" range on its strangle roots, gains a command ability and becoming a freakin' wizard!
    • His unique spell will do D3 damage to any enemy units on or around your woods. It's either a great deterrent to entering your woods or a great punishment if the opponent was dumb enough to actually do it.
    • Once per battle he can unconditionally summon a new wood. This makes him an almost must take if you want a guaranteed second wood out on your first turn. Note this is once per game, not once per Ancient per game. Wholly within 18" is not that long a range, so if you're dropping turn one (before you've moved anything) you're not going to be using it for backline deep striking. However, If you teleport the Ancient to the wood, then next turn a 24" verdant blessing wood should give you all the range you need.
    • Has a Command Ability that lets all the Sylvaneth around him reroll saves of 1s.
    • He's got a lot of stuff going on. And now at 260 points maybe he's decent value, if you use everything he has to offer. Possibly works best in 1000pt lists where you've got less room other stuff.
    • 2019 Differences: Other than the stuff copied across from the Vanilla Treelord, the wood summons is just once unconditionally instead of on a 4+, and some distances changing to wholly within.
  • Arch-Revenant: (100pts) A newbie in the Sylvaneth ranks, added with the Looncurse battlebox.
    • Is very fast, with a move of 12" and an ability to fly until she loses her mount (see below).
    • Has the best non-Behemoth Hero melee in Sylvaneth (which doesn't say much): three 2" 3+/3+/-2 Dmg 2 attacks with her glave and a single 4+/3+ Dmg D3 attack with her mount.
    • Slightly more survivable than a Branchwych, with five wounds, a 4+ save and an ability to sacrifice her mount to negate one allocated normal or mortal wound.
    • Has a shield for either defensive or offensive use: at the start of the combat phase you may chose to use it to re-roll either save rolls or hit rolls of 1.
    • Automatically buffs Kurnoth Hunters within 12" of herself, allowing them to re-roll hit rolls of 1 (both melee and shooting).
    • Has a great command ability, adding 1 attack to each model's weapon in a unit within 9" (12" if the Arch-Revenant is your General). Combine this ability with alpha-striking unit of Tree-Revenants, or buff the hell out of Kurnoth Sword/Scythes - either way, it'll really hurt your opponent. Only works in the melee phase, so no buffing Kurnoth bows.
    • 2019 Differences: New for 2019!

Battleline

Unconditional battleline

  • Dryads: (100/270pts, min 10, max 30) Your rank and file angry trees. These ladies are thankfully quite versatile and so can be used for a variety of situations.
    • At first glance the ladies don't look like much, having only a 5+ Save and 2 attacks at 4+/4+/-/1. But they quickly become incredible as in units of 10+ they gain +1 Save, they hit on 3+ in your combat phase and they also have 2" range on their attacks, letting them fight in thick, two-row hedges. They also profit from being near a wood (-1 to hits against them), this is in addition to +1 save for being in cover. They are also very fast at 7". Keep them in big units as the Save-bonus and the 2" range heavily reward you for doing so.
    • You can abuse their buffed save rolls by adding a unit of Sisters of the Thorn so you can reroll failed saves (which also deals a mortal on 6), so a large unit in a wood now has 3+ with reroll. For chaff, that's pretty damn good. However, those Sisters are going to cost you a fair bit in return.
    • With Cities of Sigmar, Sisters of the Thorn's spell can only be used on WANDERERS unit, so Dryads cannot make use of it anymore.
    • Remember to bring at least an additional 20 of these for the Branchwraith to summon. Unless you plan on playing super defensive, you won't need more than 30 spare.
    • 2019 Differences: Wholly within measuring means no more daisy chains across the board. However, the large unit bonus is now 10 instead of 12. With all the other changes going on, pure Dryad spamming is probably no longer our strongest build.

Battleline in SYLVANETH

  • Tree-Revenants: (80/420pts, min 5, max 30) Troops for tricksy players - not your mainline infantry.
    • At first glance look disappointing, with basically the same stat-wheel as Dryads but lower Move. Now here's where it gets good....
    • They have Rend in melee, unlike the Drayds.
    • They have the coolest rerolls in the game, getting to reroll 1 dice per phase. So this seems wonky in melee, doesn't it? Well, it also allows them to reroll the dice to run, one of the charge dice, the Battleshock dice... you get the picture.
    • The standards allow them to pile in 6" which lets them get more attacks in.
    • Most importantly, the musician allows them to use a better Spirit Paths rule, letting you take them off the table and then place them anywhere on the table more than 9" from enemy units.
    • Leader either gets two additional attacks or +1 damage.
    • Do not use these guys as as you would Dryads. They aren't particularly killy, they will die quickly if attacked first and their kit is way too expensive to use lots of them. They are for board control:
      • Charge blockers. Save until your opponent gets ready to charge a very killy unit they want to get into combat asap, then teleport a wall of Revenants in front. Revenants will die instantly in the following combat, but it'll free up your more important units.
      • Back line threatening. Your opponent can no longer keep those war machines, Jezzails and Poisoned Wind Mortars unguarded. Minimum-size squads of them also have just high enough of a damage output to cut all the aforementioned units to ribbons. But, you will say, the 9" charge after teleporting is improbable. No. Since they can reroll one of the charge dice, they are more likely to make that charge than to fail it. A good rule of thumb is to use 2 units of minimum size. That way, it's very likely at least one of them will make the charge and then they will more than likely deal enough damage to neuter the war machine you attacked.
      • Objective taking. Without any Revenants, your opponent might decide to leave a captured objective unguarded. With Revenants either you can teleport and grab the objective or they'll be wise to this and need to keep a unit tied up - one big enough to survive a teleport and charge strike.
    • 2019 Differences: Teleporting is now anywhere instead of near a wood or table edge. It's a small change, but a good one.
  • Spite-Revenants: (60/200pts, min 5, max 20) Less tricksy, more creepy Tree-Revenants.
    • No rend and single damage, but 3 attacks at +3/+3 each!
    • They also exist to muck around with enemy Bravery. They flat reduce the Bravery of enemies around them, which combos well with Drycha's unique spell. Plus they force them to reroll passed battleshock tests. Even Death armies can end up with some battleshock losses.
    • 1" range means it'll be tricky getting all 61 attacks of a 20 model unit fully into combat.
    • Your glass cannon battleline: Hits really hard, dies really quickly. Use Dryads for staying power.
    • 200 points for 20 of these is the same as Dryads! Against bad save hordes these guys might be the superior option. Sadly, it'll hurt your wallet a lot more - £90 for 20 vs £31.25 for the same in Dryads (add in your own local currency multiplier).
    • 2019 Differences: 10 points drop, the scenery rule is switched for the rerolling battleshock, and attacks are up from +4/+4 to +3/+3, that's a huge boost! Finally these are a valid battleline option. GW must really want people to start playing these guys.

Other Troops

  • Kurnoth Hunters With Kurnoth Greatswords: (190pts, min 3, max 12) The ultimate wooden killing machine.
    • Incredible. Each of these guys is basically a minor Hero at 5 Wounds and a 4+ Save.
    • The sword tosses out 4 attacks at -1 Rend and damage 2. And deals an additional mortal wounds on wound rolls of 6.
    • When melee attacking, if they don't need to move (other than 1" pile in), they can gain the ability to re-roll saves.
      • Since the warscroll only says at the start of the charge phase but doesn't specify whose, they can technically charge and pile in normally in your charge phase and then use Tanglethorn Thicket in your opponent's if you went first.
    • At the end of combat you deal mortal wounds on a 4+ for each model in your unit
    • They also channel Command Abilities. When you use a Command ability, any unit wholly within 12" of a Kunroth is also counted as being in range of the casting hero.
    • GW has switched the points for these up and down over the years. Down again slightly for 2020
    • Consider pretending you're playing 40K and magnetise the arms for different weapon loadouts below. If you fix the weapons on one unit then you'll have enough shoulder pads spare to better magnetise a second unit. The Quiverbugs are trickier to magnetise. Sadly there are no official rules for using plasma cannons.
    • These guys are crazy good now, especially if you take them in Winterleaf. Stick an Arch-Revenant next to a unit, send into something big, and watch it go **POOF**. Pop command ability for 10 attacks hitting on 3+, 5 attacks on 2+, reroll 1's to hit, with 6's causing mortal wounds AND extra attacks?! All wounding on 3's with their -1 rend and flat 2 damage (Bonus points for using the Frozen Kernel so they can do it again. Even Nagash will tremble in terror.)
    • 2019 Differences: Other than the warscroll split, failed saves confusion has been fixed, some range changes, improvement to the end of combat damage. Plus swords get an extra mortal. Even stronger than before. With the mortal wounds buff, better than scythes against everything, though with 1" less range.
  • Kurnoth Hunters With Kurnoth Scythes: (190pts, min 3, max 12)
    • Same as above, but with longer weapon range of the scythes, which tosses out 3 attacks at Rend -2 and damage D3. The scythes do more damage against 2+ saves, break even against 3+ and the swords win against everything else. But that's before taking into account the mortal wounds on 6 the Swords deal out (which the scythes don't get).
    • In general the swords are your better option (especially given how rare 2+ and even 3+ saves are in AoS).
    • However, the scythes have 2" reach. You'll want this for units of 6 or more to get them all into combat or if you want to place a screen of Dryads (preferably on the edge of a woods) or Revenants in front and attack through them. Tricksier players will go for the scythes.
    • 2019 Differences: Same as the swords variant, except for no new additional weapon damage.
  • Kurnoth Hunters With Kurnoth Greatbows: (190pts, min 3, max 12)
    • Same as above, but now with ranged weapons.
    • A stunning 30" range, two shots per model and D3 damage per shot, these guys are basically artillery.
    • You also get the adorable Quiverlings who do the melee fighting for them, being very non-threatening, but remember, these guys are tough as nails and you can shoot into melee. Does a lot less damage overall than melee weapons, and you can only shoot during your turn (unlike melee, effectively halving the potential damage done per game), but that range means you won't be getting attacked back. How dare they! The Quiverlings are no longer the source of their melee damage! Somehow, the giant tree people have learned to punch things of their own accord now
    • Take into account our woods block line of sight (so no camping in woods) and Look Out Sir means you should probably avoid sniping guarded heroes.
    • Bows were the best option in original AOS, no longer so essential in AOS2.
    • 2019 Differences: Same as the swords variant, except for no new additional weapon damage.
  • Ylthari’s Guardians: (Free with Ylthari) Shadespire Tree Revenants without the good stuff.
    • Can only be taken along with Ylthari.
    • Tree Revenants without a musician or banner, so you loose the pile in and teleport abilities.
    • In return you get three different weapon profiles (sword, glaive, bow), which are upgrades on the Tree Revenants.
    • Plus on a D6 3+ you get to attack first, which is going to make them a lot less fragile than standard Tree Revenants.
    • You also lose the Tree Revs reroll any dice per phase, but you can reroll wounds of 1.
    • Labelled tree revenant, but Ylthari isn't. As written means you can include them in Tree Revenant battalion requirements, even though you still have to bring along Ylthari who wouldn't then be in the battalion. Needs an FAQ to confirm.
    • Rules as Written their Martial Memories ability will cause themselves and ANY other Tree-Revenant unit within 3" of enemy units to fight first, on a 3+, in the combat phase. This needs playtesting to see if it's worth the points, but in theory it sounds almost too good to be true. You'd bring Ylthari's Guardians to turn your decent Tree-Revenants into better than Dryad melee blenders. Yeah, that's gone as of the battletome. Now Martial Memories is the same as the ability on the Tree-Revenants.
    • 2019 Differences: New for 2019!
  • Skaeth’s Wild Hunt: (120pts, min/max 5) Straight outa Beatsgrave
    • 5 unique models with ok melee (max damage of six wounds with all models) and a little bit of shooting (a single close range and single far range attack)
    • One wound each, but the leader gets one extra. And the one of them is a Wizard.
    • Might be easier to just think of these guys as a 120pt six wound wizard with a behemoth damage table. Remember, each model killed results in fewer attacks/abilities. Just make sure you remove the models you most care about last.
    • Spell (CV 7), as long as the model lives, gives you +1 to wounds rolls on a nearby unit, which is neat. Especially given that's something not covered elsewhere in the faction. Sadly it's a fairly high casting value.
    • They can still charge and shoot after running, not that you'll be charging them much.
    • Unique and not a hero.
    • Really, the +1 wounds spell to work alongside your other buffs is the reason you'll be taking these guys. In an either/or choice, the Arch Revenant is 20pts cheaper and better, and the wych/wraiths are 50% cheaper if you just want a wizard.
    • Like Ylthari, labelled Oakenbow, which as per FAQ, means that if you take another glade, these guys do not benefit from the glade bonus. Which makes them now even more useless than before.

Behemoths

  • Treelord: (180pts) The Walking Tree. (aka Groot)
    • DISTRACTION CARNIFEX with appropriate stats to match.
    • At the start of combat he can stomp and on a 4+ cause one enemy unit to fight at the end of combat.
    • You get a single attack at rend -2, and on a 6 it goes from 1 damage to D6 mortal wounds.
    • Instead of moving, if close to a wood, he can teleport to another wood, more than 9" from enemies. This is in addition to the single unit that can do the same using the allegiance ability. Deep Strike!
    • And they can also shoot, which is decent, not much worse than a unit of Bow Kurnoths.
    • It should be remembered that these guys class as monsters and carry all the baggage that comes with that (You know declining stats, Large model, everyone wants to shoot it. that sort of thing), its still a pretty kickass unit.
    • Everything this guy can do, Durthu and the Ancient can do, and more. But you're paying appropriately for them.
    • This guy rarely sees usage. He's not a bad choice, it's just Kurnoth's, at only 20 points more, are a better choice. And if you really want him, the Ancient and Durthu give you more.
    • 2019 Differences: Stomp has changed from causing -1 to hits against, impale has been simplified. And down from 240 points!

Scenery

  • Awakened Wyldwood: Trees everywhere.
    • New models!
    • An Awakened Wyldwood consists of 3-6 citadel woods arranged to form a circle. Everything inside is treated as woods.
    • A Citadel wood is a single tree with a bit of base. They come in packs of three, which when formed into a circle are roughly the same size as the old dinner plate model.
    • FAQ states you can use one old citadel wood model as one awakened wood terrain piece. Given that one old wood is roughly the same size of 3 new woods, you're at a disadvantage using them.
    • Line of sight blockers, so no camping your shooters in woods.
    • If a wizard casts a spell near a wood, then all nearby non-Sylvaneth get D3 mortals on a 5+.
    • At the end of the charge phase, all nearby non-Sylvaneth get D3 mortals on a 6.
    • Remember those damages hurt your allies and your ally in doubles games.
    • All Treelords and one other unit per turn can teleport between two of these instead of moving.
    • Branchwraiths, Branchwyches, Dryads and Durthu all gain bonuses for being near a wood.
    • As per the allegiance ability, you can place one of these at the start of the game. The Acorn artefact and the Treelord Ancient can both unconditionally place one wood per game. The verdant blessing spell (6+) is known by all our wizards and can place a new wood per turn if successfully cast. Alarielle can set up a new wood after killing a unit with her spell (if there is room).
    • Your first wood needs to be more than 6" from an objective, but none of the other wood placements have that restriction.
    • Your opponent is going to want to place lots of scenery during setup and then spread out during the first turn in order to block our wood placements. A situation made worse by the increase in faction specific scenery. You could quite easily end up only get out the start wood and one more during an entire game. Getting first turn can help mitigate this.
    • The new models will mean an end to tree-less bases, and they'll fit in your army storage box. However, it's yet to be seen how many of these you're going to need to bring along per game and whether they are as crucial as they were in previous additions. You could end up bringing along 8 packs of these, which still ends up being a significant upfront cost for the army and it's still a lot of extra plastic you're carting around between games.
    • Note that the entire inside of the ring of woods is counted as part of the Awakened Wyldwood, which means you can't use a wildwood to surround another piece of scenery or objective.
    • 2019 Differences: New models! No longer auto kills small guys after charge/runs, instead doing damage by just being close. Max footprint of a wood has shrunk by a third.

Battalions

Forest Folk

A Branchwraith and three units of Dryads 140pts (520pts min -> 1,030pts max)

Units can retreat and then still charge that turn.

Great for controlling the flow of combat. Essentially the opposite of Household. Stops your tar pits getting locked into combat with something you didn't want to, usually due to them charging first. Alternatively, if done correctly, you can bypass combat screens - charge into the screen one turn, then the following turn, retreat further up the board and charge your real target. Ignore the Branchwraith here, she's just included to reduce the number of drops.

2019 Differences: Replaces the old ability that lets you take the entire Battalion off the table and then redeploy them close to your Wyldwoods.

Free Spirits

A Spirit of Durthu and three units of Kurnoth Hunters 140pts (1,080pts min -> 2,880pts max)

Always rolls a 6 for a run.

Nice. Running instead of charging allows you to tanglethorn for save rerolls when the enemy charges in the following turn. You'll be wanting Scythes because you'll need the range on your tiny pile in. Don't use it to try and deepstrike Durthu or the like if board placement has denied you getting out any woods, as you'll now have lone units who can no longer shoot or charge until the next turn vulnerable to counterattack.

If you are taking these units, then you probably are also want the cheapest battleline you can get hold of, which is 3x5 Spites - and if you're doing that, then Outcasts is 40 points cheaper. Anyone wanting three artefacts, then this and Outcasts together would work.

2019 Differences: Much simpler than the old ability where you move twice but has to be closer to some scenery

Household

A vanilla Treelord, a Branchwych and a unit of Tree-Revenants 100pts (440pts min -> 780pts max)

Units locked in combat with the Household cannot retreat.

That's an amazing ability for controlling the board, sadly the unit choices aren't the best. However, consider a blob of 30 freely teleporting Tree Revenants with 6" pile ins (and a 60pt hoard discount) and you're going to lock down whatever threats you want to for multiple turns until they chew through or die. Use the woods to throw your Treelord followed by Branchwych bomb to lock down a different unit elsewhere. Now consider how much six boxes of Revenants is going to cost to do this. Yeah.

2019 Differences: The old version also had +1 Bravery, but that's gone now.

Lords of the Clan

Two to four Treelord Ancients and one to three normal Treelords 60pts (760pts min -> 1640 max)

During your shooting phase, every enemy within 6" of 2+ Treelords, gets D3 mortals on a 2+ roll.

At 60 points, this is a bargain given it's only 10 more than a command point, and If you really want lots of trees then this is a no brainer. Ability requires you teleport deep strike in pairs, but you won't get those mortals until your next turn after charging (assuming the whole pair stays alive). Having to take two Ancients is the tax here - most the Ancient's abilities don't double up, leaving your second Ancient mostly as a Treelord with a much lower damage output (however, you do get the additional spell plus the choice of which Ancient to use for its abilities). Being forced to take in pairs is a good as the stomp becomes much more reliable (from 50% to 75%), with the chance you can stomp a second enemy. For the most use out of this you want two pairs of Ancient+Vanilla, but that uses up almost half your points and all your behemoths slots in a 2000pt game. Two Ancients and one Vanilla is easier to build around, but that magnifies the Ancient tax and neuters the battalion ability. For pure damage output and survivability, Dreadwooding a large block of Kurnoth's is mathematically the better choice. However, two pairs of stomping Trees are much more flexible. In addition, taking LOTC enables you to take a mixed battleline (say, one each of Spites, TreeRevs and Dryads) instead of the usual block of Outcasts or Forest Folk - or take both if you really want the artefacts/CPs.

2019 Differences: Old ability was only for one name Treelord, was a wider range, but less reliable.

Outcasts

Three units of Spite-Revenants 100pts (280pts min -> 700pts max)

Any enemy unit that fails battleshock within (not wholly within!) 3" loses an additional D3 models.

Remember that Spites lower enemy bravery too. If you want the cheapest possible battleline plus battalion, then this is the choice to take, for just 280pts total - just don't expect them to last long.

2019 Differences: This used to be a damage pulse based on enemy bravery.

Wargrove

One Lords of the Clan, three Households, three Forest Folks, one Free Spirits and one Outcasts. 80pts (5,240pts min -> 11,010pts max)

Our only remaining super battalion. Allows you to place two Wyldwoods at the start of the game instead of one. Still, way too big to use unless you're playing 6000 point games.

2019 Differences: Unchanged from the old battletome.

Army Building

1000 pts

Two SC boxes and a box of Revenants get you a solid core. Convert one of the useless Branchwyches into a Branchwraith by stealing her scythe and pet. You will want more Dryads if you do this so the Wraith actually gets to do her job.

  • Grove: Winterleaf
  • Treelord Ancient (General, Grove artefact, Regrowth)
  • Branchwraith (Throne of Vines)
  • Branchwych (The Dwellers Below)
  • 30 Dryads
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • Treelord

Total: 990 pts

You can also replace the Treelord with a unit of Kurnoth Hunters (give them the Greatswords).

To upgrade from that, get a bag of newly-undercosted Spite Revenants and a guaranteed second Wood:

  • Grove: Winterleaf or Dreadwood
  • Treelord Ancient (General, Grove artefact, Regrowth)
  • Drycha Hamadreth (Deadly Harvest or The Dwellers Below)
  • Branchwraith (Throne of Vines)
  • 20 Spite-Revenants
  • 5 Tree-Revenants
  • Soulsnare Shackles

Total: 1000 pts

If you got the Looncurse set (or if you prefer), you can also do this:

  • Grove: Winterleaf
  • Treelord Ancient (Grove artefact, Regrowth)
  • Arch-Revenant (General)
  • Branchwraith (Throne of Vines)
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • 6 Kurnoth Hunters (Greatswords)

The Arch-Revenant can stay safe and buff the Hunters with her Command Ability thanks to Envoys of the Everqueen.

Alternatively, you can be a dick and bring a god to the table:

  • Grove: Winterleaf or Dreadwood
  • Alarielle (Regrowth)
  • Branchwraith (General, Grove artefact, Throne of Vines)
  • 20 Spite-Revenants
  • 5 Spite-Revenants

Total: 1000 pts

Can cut most of the Spite-Revenants for... something? Allied 3 Ishlaen guard? A Knight-Incantor? Open for suggestions, but if you do that, consider going groveless.

2000 pts

Winterleaf starter List

Two Wraiths (+spell reliability), Drycha (+regrowth), Hive, and blobs of Kurnoths with Arch Rev are a solid base for any list. Winterleaf is a good pick as being very strong and the easiest-to-play grove.

If you played Sylvaneth before the recent changes, chances are you have a forest fair number of Dryads, Forest Folk puts them to good use:

  • Grove: Winterleaf
  • Battalion: Forest Folk
  • Arch-Revenant (General, grove artefact)
  • Drycha Hamadreth (Regrowth)
  • Branchwraith (Spiritsong Stave, Throne of Vines)
  • Branchwraith (Verdurous Harmony)
  • 30 Dryads
  • 20 Dryads
  • 10 Dryads
  • 9 Kurnoth Hunters (Scythes)
  • Spiteswarm Hive
  • Total: 1990 pts

If you prefer less battleline (you'll most likely be getting +30-40 Dryads per game), then Outcasts gets you the cheapest battleline plus artefact. Simply swap Dryads and Forest Folk for:

  • Battalion: Outcasts
  • 5 Spite Revenants
  • 5 Spite Revenants
  • 5 Spite Revenants

This now leaves you with 440 points to play with. Possibilities include:

  • 6 Kurnoths and Skullroot spell?
  • Durthu and 10 Dryads? And maybe switch to Harvestboon.
  • 3 Kurnoths, 5 Tree Revenants, +5 Spite Revenants to an existing block, and 10 Dryads?

Dreadwood Teleportation

Dreadwood lets you dodge a lot of mobility concerns that can occur with the new terrain rules - combined with up to +5 to charges and Envoys of the Everqueen, Kurnoth can deliver a punch wherever you want it.

  • Grove: Dreadwood
  • Battalion: Outcasts
  • Arch-Revenant (General, grove artefact)
  • Branchwraith (Throne of Vines)
  • Branchwraith (Verdurous Harmony)
  • 30 Dryads
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • 5 Spite-Revenants
  • 9 Kurnoth Hunters (Scythes)
  • 6 Kurnoth Hunters (Swords)
  • Chronomatic Cogs
  • Spiteswarm Hive
  • Extra Command Point

Total: 1990 pts

Allied Armies

The problem with allies, is that they do not get the SYLVANETH-Keyword. Our Forests can and will turn on our allies if they get too close. This massively reduces their mobility, weakens our board control and potentially makes us lose our models without the enemy having to do anything.

  • Stormcast Eternals: You don't particularly need stormcast. Their play style is too different from traditional Sylvaneth play and overall they don't synergise too well. Perhaps with the upcoming Stormcast Sacrosanct chamber, something might be available to use well with Sylvaneth, but as of now don't bother. Stormcasts are just too slow to keep up with us and allies can't make up for this with Deep Strikes. Prosecutors might be a better option than the infantry on foot, but the would-be woefully under supported, due to the lack of Stormcast Heroes. Additionally, they have worse shooting than our (costlier) options and again, do not benefit from Stormcast specific abilities or commands.
  • Wanderers: Okayish, and fluffy which is important, however as previously mentioned above, you only have 200/400pts to spare, which simply isn't enough to gain any meaningful army support from the Wanderers - although with the recent warscroll and point changes in the Cities of Sigmar release, maybe there is something to look at here. Wanderers suffer from much the same problems as Stormcast. Everything they can do, we can do better, with everything they need, we can't provide. 200-400 points are not all that much and spending these on a Unit of Glade Guard and a Hero gives us, again, worse shooting and we can only heal and not revive Models. This basically means that the many single-wound models are nearly worthless fodder. Sisters of any variation are simply too expensive to be a viable choice for us and don't benefit us. Wasted points, that we could use better for Hunters.
  • Idoneth Deepkin: The fish guys have lots of cross-unit synergies, which are of no use here. Consider the Akhelian Guards (Ishlaen and Morrsarr). Compared to the Kurnoths, they are faster at 14' and can fly (but can't use wyldwood teleporting and need to stay way from them too), they pack more punch (but are much more fragile) and they are cheaper too.
    • Alternately, consider running a Deepkin army with the "Alliance of Wood and Sea" Battalion, giving you all the benefits of the Deepkin tides at the cost of having only one forest (for better and worse) via the Treelord Ancient's Silent Communion ability.
  • Fyreslayers: (Only if general is IRONBARK): Surprisingly useful alliance despite not being common in the lore. The Fyreslayers bring a lot of Mortal Wounds to the table, especially if a Runefather or Runeson on Magmadroth is chosen. With Hearthguard Berserkers, bring a Fyerslayer hero along with them and they can eat Mortal Wounds for you, being able to resist them on a 4+.

Buying Guide

Sylvaneth is mixed in terms of unit price values. Some can be cheap, others horrendously expensive, but that's GW. A cliché recommendation would be the start collecting box. Sadly the Branchwych is of less use than she used to be.

Note that due to models coming from WFB, a box of Dryads has 16 models, so to get full use of them, you'll want two boxes giving you 3 dryad units plus 2 spare. Make these up as 3 Dryad Nymphs and 29 normal Dryads to give you full WYSIWYG flexibility of unit sizes. 5 boxes gets you a full usage with 80, which is probably enough unless you go full Dryad spam.


Age of Sigmar Tactics Articles
General Tactics
Order
Chaos
Death
Destruction
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