Sell me on wood elves.

[inkpwn]

Im interested in playing wood elves outside of our league but have no idea how to build them, starting roster and later skills, any advice.

The team would start at 1.1 million, i like the treeman but is he really necessary. I would also like both dancers.

Oh and does anyone know where to get nice models for this team, the GW ones are a bit rubbish.

[PhilG23]

Hi, I've been playing WE this season after Orcs last season. Bearing in mind these have been my first 2 seasons for over 10yrs, its been a baptism of fire to say the least.
I started without the Tree, 2 Dancers, 2 catchers and 1 thrower.
Obviously any linos skill up Dodge. Apo and then Tree come with time. Block on Catchers and i've taken strip ball and Tackle on the Dancers (2 x skaven matches coming up). You'll throw a lot of 1 dice blocks after leaping into cages. All good fun though.
My thrower has been slow to skill up, bu I got a double so I took Strong Arm, Accurate next will make him a mean chucker.
Hope it goes well

Phil

[Greyhound]

with wood elfs you have to have a heart of stone and let your ST4/AG5/Mighty Blow Wardancer die without tears... with AV7 all around you will see them hurt, and die, nearly as much as a skaven coach sees his team decimated every other game.

The most annoying for a wood elf coach is the cash issue, the team is expensive, and death, after death, broken collar bone and necks will be taking the toll on your team finances.

You will need to win the games just for the cash reroll, so you can keep an average 40 to 50k entering the treasury every game.

The good news is that you will win games, the team is excellent and call pull through with only 4-5 players still on the pitch (and it will have such games). Expect to win 5-2 some days with no injuries, and loose 1-2 with 5-6 serious injuries other days.

You'll curse the 1s. A lot more than dark elfs who can take a few blocks. You, however, you can't.
The worse is to start your turn with most elfs marked, and no 2-dice block to make. You'll consider a clever dodge from your guard lino who can start the first 2 dice block, only to roll 1-1 on the dodges.
Mind you, had you tried a block, you could have taken skull skull, or a pass/hand off would have resulted in the same result.
Then it's going downhill. With everyone marked by a MightyBlow dwarf, the carnage starts and only stops when you lost 6 elfs and the ball... shit happens.

At the same time you can pretty much guarantee a 2-turn TD, if not a 1 turn TD.

Heart of stone, stomach your losses, and admit that Nuffle hates you, and you'll love the team.

[inkpwn]

How do you feel about wrestle over block? I honestly prefer it, a lineman and apposing player down feels a lot easier to get around without those tackle zones presented by verticle block v block players, plus a lose of 3 squares on a 7 move model isn't the harshest penalty in the world.

[Greyhound]

I mix both, I don't think it's either or.

Wrestle on the LOS, Block elsewhere.
I also like the tree, not because he's any good, but because I see him as saving me money in the long run, I replace him less often than unskilled linos.

[PhilG23]

I pretty much agree with everything greyhound says. Against bash and guard, try and leave no one in TZs. I like wrestle and jump up on my catchers, best of both worlds. Then sure feet and poss leader on your thrower. You'll always be low on team RR but all the dodge, pass and catch give you enough to live with it.

[Greyhound]

try and leave no one in TZs.

Also be aware of the odds on this tactic (which is good BTW):
If you consider 4 dodges in a turn. I'll use this number because:
1) you don't always have 11 players on the pitch
2) you will do some blocking usually 2 or 3
3) you hopefully don't have the ball carrier and a few "screeners" marked every turn.

So on an average of 4 dodges per turn, if you have the dodge skill on absolutely everyone (which you won't have at the start of the game) you can expect 2 times a game a double 1 and turnover.
That's "normal". And that's considering a dodge into no TZ, no requirements for multiple dodge, no prehensile tail and no tentacles. No Tackle either.

Against a tackle fest of dwarfs you should expect to fail miserably every other turn. If they have Stand Firm it's a lot more elfs in tackle zones as you can't even decide do push.

So at the end of the day you'll realise that a quick drive means better success for you as you re-field and only suffer 4 blocks when kicking, 3 of which you control, and 1 of them you can put on your treeman.

For this reason I wouldn't count too much on dodging everything out of combat (although I will try). It's an "ideal" goal, rarely a reality.

Against a Tackle Opponent if you have Block/Wrestle you stand as much chance to block them and fail on 1/die block than you risk in dodging. Often with better results, since you can expect to see them going down or being pushed opening an access for your team

[inkpwn]

I love your ideas. I am gunna give all this a go, its going to be odd for me try to keep out of zones since i have only played dwarf, chaos and halfling.

[Ulthuan_Express]

I've found that the key to using Wood Elves properly is how you make use of the Wardancers. They're definitely a precision strike force, despite being the most bashy thing on the team - a karate chop to the neck rather than a mailed fist to the face.

[Smurf]

I've found that the key to using Wood Elves properly is how you make use of the Wardancers. They're definitely a precision strike force, despite being the most bashy thing on the team - a karate chop to the neck rather than a mailed fist to the face.

I agree there. My WDs are hunters, first skills were: tackle, sidestep and shadowing. If I had rolled a double I would have got Mighty blow, there are variations.

Due to the new LRB6 I will be choosing throwers with accurate safe throw. I reserved a thrower for defensive play and he has kick and aiming for Nerves of steel followed by surehands and in the future leap.

WEs need a lot of wrestle, sidestep and dodge. A few leapers to prevent being boxed in. Catchers should get Nerves of Steel and Pass Block or dedicate them to speed and sidestep.

IMO the WE play book is all about pace. It has to be a blurr to your opponent. Also set up so that you can always score after the 2nd turn of the drive, so that if the opponent drops the ball you can get it and pass it to the guy waiting to score. Even if you are ground down, speed, grab ball and try to score, score ball TD aarrrgghhh!

[inkpwn]

Just played my first test game
1.wardancer
3.catchers
1.passer
7. linemen

2 rerolls
Apothecary
(1.1 mill)

Didn't go so well, i played vs dwarfs and all my turn two touch downs were lost to the all mighty power of the bad dice roll. Too many ones even with dodge, but aside from that it was a very fun team to play every action planned and the pay off immense when you succeeded.

[PhilG23]

you need the 2 Wardancers, and to be fair the worse team against WE is Dwarfs due to thier tackle (oo-er).

Stick with them.

[inkpwn]

I will, i knew tackle was going to be a problem, though i think one of the problems is i kept following up after blocks and i left more then 3 guys on the line constantly! Still in the bashy mind set, but that is what these practice games are for
I am defiantly purchasing a wardancer at the start of the league, but maybe not before that extra re-roll. That dancer is a cage breaking machine (using moded eldar harlequins for them).


Currently thinking of team names, i started off on 'the fleet footed fancy men' but i kind of like 'jumping jellybeans', my teams rarely have serious names.

[Smurf]

WTF were you thinking!

1.1 mil

2 wardancers are default
1 catcher is all you need
and if you like trees take one

would keep the dwarves busy anyway.

IMO WE do not need many rerolls, 1 would be enough.

I have won 13/14 games with no reroll and no tree. but I faced a guy who thought he knew dwarves and I beat him 6-1. I got lucky here.

[inkpwn]

I was given advise by nazgob before starting the team and he made a very good point about the build and the players with starting 're-roll skills' like dodge, catch and pass, this is basically his wood elf starting roster. I personally like it, but yea i did want to start with the 2nd wardancer.

Might edit the team to fit it in and see how it goes.