Analysing Sylvaneth's Movement Shenanigans Part 2 - Arcane Treasures + Warscroll Battalions

For part 1 of this series, covering Battle Traits, Command Traits and Spells, click here!

Arcane Treasures

Acorn of Ages

Once per game, in your hero phase, set up a new SylvanethWyldwood (1-3 bases) anywhere within 5"of the bearer. The wood cannot be set up within 1"of any other models or terrain features.Your second way to generate an extra wyldwood and it doesn't require a successful casting roll like Verdant Blessing! But it will be your only magic item on the character who has it. Has the same uses as Verdant Blessing aside from this can also be used to block the enemy, making them move run / charge through the woods to get to your models, causing them considerable damage (particularly useful against multi-wound models! As on a roll of 1 they are gone no matter how many wounds they have) or to force enemy spellcasters to choose not to cast or to cast but take damage from the Roused by Magic Wyldwood ability! You can also use your own spellcasters to trigger this ability, good combinations including a treeman ancient or Branchwych who is in the wood, already benefitting from all the abilities / effects granted by being in the wood + spell damage from casting, + damage from the Roused ability.



















Moonstone of the Hidden Ways


Bearer knows the Treesong spell in addition to any others they have. Nothing else to say really, I guess the only reason you'd take this over the Acorn of the Ages is if you planned to cast Treesong more than once. Unless your opponent can destroy scenery, you'd soon have nowhere left to place your Wyldwoods.


The requirements for the Free Spirits battalion is 1 Spirit of Durthu and 3 units of any size Kurnoth Hunters. It grants a free move (no running) in the Hero phase, towards a chosen unit or terrain feature.

Warscroll Battalions

Free Spirits
This can be a free 5 inch move in the Hero phase, or you can use an ability that is meant to be used in the movement phase such as Navigate Realmroots! Used after a spellcaster uses the Acorn of Ages or (better range) Verdant Blessing, it can be quite easy to get a first turn charge off with the whole Battalion!

Forest Folk
This battalion consists of 3 units of Dryads and  Branchwraith, not the greatest requirements ever at a minimum of 520 points, but I think it has some potential. The ability granted for it is; once per game in your Hero phase, remove all models from the battalion, and place them anywhere in your territory, or within 3 of a Wyldwood.

I see this being useful in a couple of ways. Late game objective grabbing, if the objective is in your territory or you've got a Wyldwood in a favourable position. Also, dropping out of combat after having baited your opponents units, leaving them in a bad position or in a Wyldwood.
I see this being useful in a couple of ways. Late game objective grabbing, if the objective is in your territory or you've got a Wyldwood in a favourable position. Also, dropping out of combat after having baited your opponents units, leaving them in a bad position or in a Wyldwood.
Oakenbrow Wargrove / Heartwood Wargrove
Both of these wargroves have a similar ability for bringing back dead unit(s). Starting off with the more basic one, one unit of Dryads or Tree Revenants in an Oakenbrow Wargrove may come back within 6 inch of the board edge or in a Wyldwood, further than 9 from the enemy.

The Heartwood version is every hero phase on a roll of a 6 (5's if you have Kurnoths on the board) a unit of Dryads, Tree or Spite Revenants may come back in the same way as the Oakenbrow one. Pretty cool, if there's a way to further buff the dice roll for the Heartwood one that would be amazing! Not sure if there is though.
The Heartwood version is every hero phase on a roll of a 6 (5's if you have Kurnoths on the board) a unit of Dryads, Tree or Spite Revenants may come back in the same way as the Oakenbrow one. Pretty cool, if there's a way to further buff the dice roll for the Heartwood one that would be amazing! Not sure if there is though.
Dreadwood Wargrove
This is the battalion with the most movement potential, and some might say a hefty tax in the required 4 units of Spite Revenants. Within this Wargrove you can also include a set number of Forest Folk or Free Spirit Battalions and as these are part of the wargrove, also benefit from the Wargrove abilities.

The Subterfuge ability grants you 1-3 stratagems for the army, at the start of the first battleround, roll a dice, on a 1-2 pick one, 3-4 pick two and 5-6 pick all three!

Ambush - Any Dreadwood unit can be deployed anywhere on the battlefield, more than 6 from the enemy. 

This unit can be any unit from with the Sylvaneth keyword, which includes Alarielle, Drycha, Spirits of Durthu, Kurnoth Hunters etc. With you placing the army in one drop, this pretty much guarantees a first turn charge against a deployed enemy unit. Granted, it may be a suicide mission, but if you can kill a key hero or pre-buffed deathstar this can be very powerful...

Hidden Attackers - enemy shooting limited to 12 inch for the first battle round.

Fairly self explanatory, I think I'd prefer to take either of the other two in most cases, but there's a definite use for this against certain armies.

Sneak Attack - Up to 3 units can immediately move as if it were the movement phase (no running) 

This could be a useful ability if used "stock" getting an extra move with 3 units already deployed on the board. The real usefulness of it is when used in conjunction with either the above Ambush rule, to get that one unit up to 3 inch away from the enemy, guaranteeing a charge unless a double 1 is rolled! Or even better, in conjunction with the Free Spirits battalion. Moving as though it were the movement phase includes the use of the Forest Spirits allegiance ability, deploying in the (deemed) movement phase from a wyldwood. 
The Subterfuge ability grants you 1-3 stratagems for the army, at the start of the first battleround, roll a dice, on a 1-2 pick one, 3-4 pick two and 5-6 pick all three!
Ambush - Any Dreadwood unit can be deployed anywhere on the battlefield, more than 6 from the enemy. 

This unit can be any unit from with the Sylvaneth keyword, which includes Alarielle, Drycha, Spirits of Durthu, Kurnoth Hunters etc. With you placing the army in one drop, this pretty much guarantees a first turn charge against a deployed enemy unit. Granted, it may be a suicide mission, but if you can kill a key hero or pre-buffed deathstar this can be very powerful...
Hidden Attackers - enemy shooting limited to 12 inch for the first battle round.
Fairly self explanatory, I think I'd prefer to take either of the other two in most cases, but there's a definite use for this against certain armies.

Sneak Attack - Up to 3 units can immediately move as if it were the movement phase (no running) 
This could be a useful ability if used "stock" getting an extra move with 3 units already deployed on the board. The real usefulness of it is when used in conjunction with either the above Ambush rule, to get that one unit up to 3 inch away from the enemy, guaranteeing a charge unless a double 1 is rolled! Or even better, in conjunction with the Free Spirits battalion. Moving as though it were the movement phase includes the use of the Forest Spirits allegiance ability, deploying in the (deemed) movement phase from a wyldwood. 

Using this rule, the Spirit of Durthu + Kurnoths are deployed via the wyldwood (placed as close to the enemy as possible) before turn 1, due to the whole army being in the wargrove battalion, you're deploying in one drop pretty much getting the first turn, then the Free Spirits, along with the single Ambushed unit, can then move and charge - very damaging.

Analysing Sylvaneth's Movement Shenanigans Part 1 - Battle + Command Traits and Spells

I'm currently getting excited thinking about possible combos in the army, specifically the movement options available! In casual play I think this could potentially spoil the game for your opponent, particularly the dreadwood grove / forest spirits battalion combo. So I intend to eventually write a couple of different lists from both a casual and competitive standpoint. But first some analysis, lets start at the beginning...

Battletraits

Wyldwood Groves

This battle trait allows you to place a Wyldwood (consisting of 1-3 bases) anywhere on the board more than one inch from any other terrain. This is a guaranteed wood, with nothing your opponent can do about it (as far as I'm aware), although they can potentially set up / move their army close to the wood to deny any teleporting Sylvaneth. In casual play I'd limit the number of bases used here to 1 or 2 but in competitive do what you want!

When placing the wood you need to think about a number of things. A good rule of thumb is to place it as close to any objective as possible, enabling you to teleport some units straight onto the ob and begin stacking points ASAP. You have to be aware of your opponent's ability to deny you the teleport option by moving close to the wood. So you may want to place the wood somewhere near the middle of the table, rather than anywhere closer to the enemy, to try to ensure you can get some units teleporting! This of course depends your objectives (both battleplan obs and general army obs)

 Forest Spirits (Battle Trait)

This allows you to keep any unit or battalion (whole army!) off the board, and bring it on within 3 inch of a wyldwood in any of your movement phases. Great answer to alpha strike stuff, but you have to deploy next to a wyldwood, which could be somewhat limiting depending on where you deployed the initial wyldwood, or have the ability to generate more throughout the game.

Placing the wood close to the enemy allows you to get a potential first turn charge off, but used stock, the unit will need to make a 9 inch charge to get in! However there are a number of ways throughout the army to mitigate this. 

 Navigate Realmroots

This battle trait allows any Sylvaneth unit within 3 of the wood at the start of their movement phase to travel between 2 wyldwoods on the board. So this only comes into play if you build the ability to generate more into your army. Kind of situational due to the requirement to be within three at the start of the movement phase, I see this being used mainly for Dryads or treemen (who should be in the woods anyway due to -1 to hit  +1 save amongst other things) to teleport onto or near objectives that need claiming. 

If you get a 6 on the dice roll, you can move normally after teleporting , 2-5 you can't move, on a 1 nothing happens and you can do nothing else for the turn! So a 1 is potentially very damaging. Any kind of treemen who use this ability never get the 1 roll, which means these guys are a lot better for using this rule.

Command Traits

Realm Walker

If you choose this command trait for your general, he can add 2 to the Navigate Realmroots roll, allowing him to move after teleporting on a 4+. Particularly of use if that general is a Spirit of Durthu for combat damage.

Warsinger

This allows you to add 1 to the charge roll of Sylvaneth within 10 of the general. Use in conjunction with the Kurnoth Hunters ability to use the general's command ability anywhere on the board!

Spells

 Verdant Blessing

Casting value of 6, place a wood (1-3 bases!) within 18 of the caster and more than 1 inch away from enemy units and terrain. Here's the first way to get extra wyldwoods in the army, to use in conjunction with the Navigate Realmroots or Forest Spirits ability to teleport your units around the board.
Can also be used to block the enemy, making them move run / charge through the woods to get to your models, causing them considerable damage (particularly useful against multi-wound models! As on a roll of 1 they are gone no matter how many wounds they have) or to force enemy spellcasters to choose not to cast or to cast but take damage from the Roused by Magic Wyldwood ability! You can also use your own spellcasters to trigger this ability, good combinations including a treeman ancient or Branchwych who is in the wood, already benefitting from all the abilities / effects granted by being in the wood + spell damage from casting, + damage from the Roused ability.

Treesong

Casting value of 7, choose a wyldwood within 10 inch, can move it 2d6 in any direction, but cannot move within 3 of any enemy models or terrain. Units wholly within the wood (enemy or friend) are moved with it!

Potential uses for this are getting an extra move in the hero phase for units beginning the turn in the wood, moving enemy units, blocking enemy units, moving towards spellcasters to get the Roused ability or moving towards an objective. 

May be too unwieldy for a string of 3 bases? Although you could reform the layout of the string with this spell which could be useful.

The main reason for not taking this spell is probably that there are so many other good spells competing to be taken. But this is probably the most useful movement-based spell in the lore...

That's enough for one post I think, up next will be Magic Artifacts, Arcane Treasures and Warscroll Battalions!