The 5th Army

[Blickwither]

So, this army has a fair few limitations... mainly the reason I'm here is that I have two Island of Bloods (from building my Skaven) and it would be silly at this point NOT to complete the High Elf force. Plus I tend to run Warhammer clubs at school and its always helpful to have a "starter" army for kids getting into it.

So, this is mainly put together using the premise of what I already have, plus a few extras. Hopefully any further expenditure should be minimal.

Lords:

Prince
Griffon, Armour Destiny, Star Lance, Dragonbane Gem, Other Trickster's Shard, Lion Cloak, Shield

Archmage
Lvl 4, High Magic/Life, Book of Hoeth, Tali Preservation

Heroes:

Lothern Sea Helm
BSB, Bow, Armour of Caledor

Core:

Lothern Sea Guard x19
Shields, Full Command

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows

Archers x11
Light Armour, Musician

Special:

Sword Masters of Hoeth x18 (6x3)
Full Command, Bladelord - Sword of Battle, Banner of Swiftness

Rare:

Sisters of Avelorn x10
High Sister

Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower

I guess I can always proxy the LSG as spear elves, I don't really have an issue with that, and I doubt my opponent would either. Archers, Sisters and Bolt Thrower provide some decent shooting, archers also provide a bunker for the Archmage. LSG + SM hammer and anvil. Reavers chaff up and use fast cav and bows so sit behind units and harass them. Lord goes off war machine hunting and taking out chaff and small units.

All I'd need are the sisters, bolt thrower, and archers. Maybe the Noble's sprue to make the BSB.

[SpellArcher]

Welcome Blickwither.

I believe this list is around 2000pts?

I'd be tempted to swap Book for Scroll. Stopping a game-winning spell is too important. If so I'd add Fury Ring (fifth spell is also important). I believe the Archmage should be in the Swordmasters both to buff them (they will be shot up otherwise) and to advance into High Magic range. I'd consider swapping Armour of Caledor for Silvered Steel and adding Ironcurse Icon, which can stack with Shield of Saphery.

The Swordmasters need Banner of the World Dragon IMHO. They are your only fighting unit and this standard turns many combats on their heads. Obviously, it's also fantastic against spells, miscasts and shooting (Enchanted Arrows, Skaven, Dwarfs etc.). I would take two more RBT in place of the Sisters, they are better vs heavy targets. I would say cut the Core to 500pts but I don't see an easy way to do it. The LSG are flimsy I would usually try to shoot with them rather than seek combat.

[Blickwither]

I'm one of those players who doesn't feel the need to swear by the dispel scroll
Never played with it.

Changed the armour on sea master and switched positions around.

Swapped out rbt x2 for sisters although will use sisters as my archers unit cus love rhetoricall models.

BotWD is generally.something i try and stay away from as i see it as unsporting and cheese. Similarly i don't tale hellpits or doomrockets with skaven.

Will update when i can find more time at my laptop.

[SpellArcher]

The vast majority of strong players will take a scroll. Of course you can play without it but it weakens this list.

Similarly, whether you take World Dragon or not depends on the power level you're aiming at. If the enemy lists are weak, no problem. But even with World Dragon this is a very friendly list, too many other elements are below par. Without it, a block of Swordmasters is a very dodgy choice, unless you build massive spell buffing and Magic Resistance into the list.

IMHO lists are not bent because of one or two items but because everything in them is maxed out. To even vaguely compete an unusual list needs at least some of the book's power choices.

[Andrew_uk]

What limit do you play to in the after school club? As a former teacher who ran a games club (albeit not warhammer) I would shy away from having larger battles.

1000-1500 is more than adequate as an intro game - isn't it?

[Blickwither]

Well, we don't play fantasy atm, they're playing 40k, although I'm hoping with 9th Ed. just around the corner I may be able to lure some of them across lol.

Revision 1.1

Lords:

Prince
Griffon, Armour Destiny, Star Lance, Dragonbane Gem, Other Trickster's Shard, Lion Cloak, Shield

Archmage
Lvl 4, High Magic/Life, Book of Hoeth, Tali Preservation

Heroes:

Lothern Sea Helm
BSB, Bow, Silvered Steel, Ironcurse Icon

Core:

Lothern Sea Guard x19
Shields, Full Command

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows

Archers x10
Light Armour, Musician

Special:

Sword Masters of Hoeth x17
Full Command, Bladelord - Sword of Battle, BotWD

Rare:

3x Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower

I still think the Book of Hoeth is preferable over the dispel scroll. Generally I feel the same way about all one use items, whereas Hoeth applies to ALL spells. That could be 3 to 4 spells a turn. I remember the first time I played against a Loremaster with BoH and nearly schitzed out over his absurd reroll ability.

[SpellArcher]

The Book's a wonderful item, no argument. List should be interesting to play.

I remember a lot of WE players asking where their World Dragon equivalent was when that book came out, as the WE magic items are generally poor. Waywatchers and Wild Riders however are superb and funnily enough, deadly to the kind of infantry who carry World Dragon!

[Blickwither]

The Book's a wonderful item, no argument. List should be interesting to play.

I remember a lot of WE players asking where their World Dragon equivalent was when that book came out, as the WE magic items are generally poor. Waywatchers and Wild Riders however are superb and funnily enough, deadly to the kind of infantry who carry World Dragon!

Wood Elf players can shush! They have their Doomfire Warlock equivalent Sisters of the Thorn which are ruthless. High Lolves have no fast cav lvl2 mages!

So I have most of the army sitting out here next to me, save the three bolt throwers... and it might just be the fact that I play two horde armies but it doesn't look like enough models...

So I've retweaked the list...

I wasn't sure the Lord was really going to make back his ~400pts on a game to game basis, so I've downgraded him to a noble. Losing the Lothern Sea Helm BSB, and putting the BSB on the Noble Griffon gave me a load more pts to play with.

So I added three Great Eagles for chaffing goodness, and some naked Dragon Princes.

Lords:
Archmage
Lvl 4, High Magic/Life, Book of Hoeth, Tali Preservation

Heroes:
Noble
BSB, Griffon, Lance, Shield, Lion Cloak, Armour of Destiny

Core:

Lothern Sea Guard x20
Shields, Full Command

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows + Spears

Ellyrian Reavers x5
Musician, Bows + Spears

Archers x10
Light Armour, Musician

Special:

Dragon Princes x5

Sword Masters of Hoeth x17 (6x3)
Full Command, BotWD

Rare:

3x Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower

3x Great Eagles

[SpellArcher]

As someone who's played both armies, I feel Wood Elves were stronger before 50% Lords and Heroes, HE's after. Sisters are a fantastically flexible unit but don't carry quite the threat of Warlocks, Wild Riders are the unit that can go through half the other guy's army. Irrespective, WE strength is more in the units while HE's need their items a little more IMHO.

The idea of a unit needing to make it's points back is not always helpful I believe, take eagles for example. The problem with a Griffon is a complete lack of saves plus the flight means that if it goes down, the rider can be far from help. Either that or it has to hide from cannon etc.. That said, the BSB is now reasonably hard hitting and that 18" for re-rolls is always nice.

The new list looks pretty well rounded. It has plenty of S5 attacks to deal with enemy elite units and monsters. Where it lacks slightly is in the ability to kill powerful enemy characters. With 2x Reavers in Core I don't think the eagles are necessary. Losing the Lord hurts because he was the best counter to enemies with high saves. If you look at the strongest HE lists, those that don't max out magic/shooting tend to have a Star Dragon, Cavalry Prince, Anointed etc to bring real pain.