Sylvaneth | Building a Dreadwood Wargrove List

Continuing my thought process from the last couple of posts, here's my thoughts on the kind of list I intend to work towards for the Sylvaneth!

The wargrove that jumped out to me immediately was the Dreadwood Wargrove. I love the Drycha + Spite Rev models plus the wargrove grants some powerful movement-based abilities. To fulfill this wargrove I need 4 Spite Revenant units + anything else in the Battletome.

I also intend to include the Free Spirits Battalion to gain more movement abilities! For this one I need 1 Spirit of Durthu and 3 units of Kurnoth Hunters.

So, here the minimum I need to fulfill these two battalions points-wise;

Dreadwood Wargrove 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100

Free Spirits 40
Spirit of Durthu 400
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180

Battleline
10 Dryads 120
10 Dryads 120
10 Dryads 120

Total: 1840

So sadly at 2000 points there isn't enough points left to get Drycha, but could add a Branchwych for a mini-Drycha Bomb (Unleash Spites + Silverwood Circlet), taking the total to 1940.

If I were to built it up to 2500, I'd include Drycha and a Treelord Ancient. Drycha to increase the alpha strike potential, and the Ancient to buff the non-teleporting units, which woud be one unit of Kurnoths (bows), the Spite Revs and the Dryads.

How would I build a 2000 point list using the ideas from these two battalions?

I definitely need the Dreadwood Wargrove's abilities to make this work, with the Free Spirits being a nice secondary bonus. Here's the bare bones for a 2000 pointer;

Dreadwood Wargrove 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100

Drycha 280

Battleline
10 Dryads 120
10 Dryads 120
5 Tree Revenants 100

Total: 1120

That gives me 880 points to play with. To make the strategy work, I definitely need some big hitters to help Drycha with the alpha strike, but also something for redundancy in case the alpha strike somehow bounces / a null deploy or similar alpha strike list appears.

Option 1 - Defence

3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
1 Treelord Ancient 300

Total: 1960

I would send 2-3 units of Kurnoths in with Drycha, keeping the TLA back with the infantry. Same concept as the first list, minus the hitting power of the Spirit of Durthu.

Option 2 - Offence

3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
Spirit of Durthu 400
+10 Dryads 120

Total: 2000

This would be more of a total offence list, with 10 Dryads added to one of the units. Spirit could take wounds off of Drycha using his Solomn Guardian ability if needed.

Option 3 - Bargain Bin Durthu

3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
Treelord 260
Branchwych
+10 Dryads 120

Total: 1960

I'm liking this one as not only do you get a fair old bit of offensive capabilities in the alpha strike, you also bulk out the rest of the army a fair bit.

I like the idea of having 2 equal parts of the army, one right in the opponents face, one hanging back in your own deployment zone. I'm leaning toward Option 2 or 3 at the moment, but below is a left-field option...

Option 4 

Drycha 280
1 Treelord Ancient 300

Dreadwood Wargrove 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100
5 Spite Revenants 100

3 Kurnoth Hunters 180
3 Kurnoth Hunters 180

Battleline
5 Tree Revenants 100
5 Tree Revenants 100
5 Tree Revenants 100

1 Treelord 260

Total 2000

This one forgoes the Dryads to get enough points for 2 treemen! Only the Spite Revenants have no movement abilities to speak of in this one. Not much staying power aside from the Treemen.

This is all theory-hammering at the moment, but hopefully in the coming months I'll be able to test out a couple of these, starting with a purchase of the Darkroot Wargrove box...