Combining elven marksmanship with the acknowledged force of the elven spearmen, Lothern Seaguard are a true example of High Elven versatility.
While most people look at the stats and specs of the LSG and see nothing but a high expense and an underpowered unit, I look upon the seaguard much like I look upon a nice pint of Guinness. Where others see nothing but a hard-quaffed black abyss, I see pleasure and enjoyment.

No, seriously, the LSG are more than meets the eye. While their bows fail to perform as well as our regular archers with only 24" of range, they can still be used, quite reliably, as a ranged support unit. Add this with their inherent protection and add shields and you also have the ability to withstand enemy missile fire with greater certainty than regular archers would. To some degree, this slight increase in survivability amends the loss of weapon range.

Also, as previously mentioned, LSG units are armed with spears as well, something that all High Elven players should know, means a much higher damage output in melee when compared to other rank&file archers. Why put melee damage output on a ranged unit then? Well, first off, having melee damage output allows them to fight on even terms, and even with an upper hand, against many fast assault units that aim to destroy our ranged support units. Secondly, the LSG is not a ranged unit, indeed, they aren't even a melee unit, they are a blend of the two, living in a twilight zone that most players would consider non-existent.

What I mean is that many units have very clear cut purposes, even multitaskers such as the White Lions are still a melee unit, and units like Ellyrian Reavers are still usually referred to as harassers and not frontline soldiers. When you take a regiment of LSG, you are always facing the risk of having them fail to utilize their entire ensemble of abilities. Such as having them move around too much to use their bows at full potential, or having them shoot only to miss an opportunity to perform a supporting charge.

The crux with LSG is knowing when to have them switch roles. In my opinion that is what they should do during a battle. During the initial phase, they could act as firing support and medium guards for other ranged units at the same time. During the middle phase they would begin advancing and during the last phase they would join other melee units and help them break other units. This is just one example, but I think it provides a valid opinion. That is to say, that the LSG should never try to perform all roles they could possibly perform at every turn. No, you should have a clear plan in mind, and use the LSG as a tool to chip the rough edges off the plan when your enemies begin hacking away at it with their own strategies.

Using the LSG as a main battle line unit means you're sacrificing their ability to shoot to some extent, except for when you, hopefully, get charged. Because a unit of LSG will get to stand & shoot, and also strike first with spears upon the enemies arrival. Essentially, you're getting another rank of st3 attacks from those bows. Also, with elven movement, you're likely to reach advantageous frontline positions before the enemy does. And few elven units are better suited to hold a hill at the center of the table than a unit of LSG. With bows on a hill, you're faced with two ranks of elven marksmen hailing death down on you, they would be hard to ignore I imagine.

However, as with all elven units, they need support. Whether this support comes from another unit of LSG, a battery of bolt throwers, a dragon or some swordmasters is of little concern, the main issue is that they receive support. Losing a unit of LSG is much more of a hard felt blow than losing a unit of Archers or Spearmen, as their point cost is almost on par with special infantry. Equipping them with a musician is a tip I recieved from other members of the board, since they are quite expensive, you really want them to rally, should they flee.

If you're using a unit of LSG to guard your boltthrowers or even a mage, you should put some thought into using handweapons and shields instead of spears. When they work as bodyguards, you rarely have more than 15, and you're most likely fielding them in a wider than 5 formation to maximise the number of arrows you can shoot. This, and elven strength means that using those three or four units standing in the back row is a waste of potential when compared to a better armour save for all other models. However, if the enemy is likely to cut through your armour save regardless, then perhaps using spears to get some kills in is a better idea.

Milliardo commented that LSG are excellent for holding buildings and defending wall sections during sieges, since they both carry good armour, and may provide missile support from their elevated position. And I have heard that during campaigns, LSG are usually the better choice for your core. Due to their versatility, they'll be useful during every step of the campaign. Other forumites commented that a unit of LSG is a good bunker for various characters, Mages and Reaver-Bow Nobles to mention two. For bunker purposes, wide formations and rank bonuses to deter charges seem to be the favoured choice, with sizes ranging from 15 to 21.

A unit of LSG, with proper support and a clever general to lead them can switch roles throughout the battle, to help however they can, be it through melee combat or ranged bombardment. They are not just spears with bows, they are marines, handymen, redmages & jacks of all trades among elves. However, if you're not careful, you might be paying four points for one single shot from a bow. All in all, LSG have potential, but require some practice to get used to, perhaps moreso than other elven units.