Wood Elves Rumor Roundup

[Tomgar]

Yeah, Wood Elves don't especially work at all right now. Very rigid in terms of how you build lists with some units (scouts, arguably Glade Riders) just being flat out unusable (unless you actively enjoy losing). Even our tree-based units are too weak to do much damage before getting cut down. Overall the army is just too overcosted with not enough versatility, an unfavourable meta and a miniscule potential for damage output.

[Chronowraith]

Agreed with Wildey.. even if the statement is a bit dramatic (I'd likely be the same way if my army of choice had lingered and under performed for so long).

Treekin, Treemen, Dryads, and Waywatchers are the best models in the book... and that includes characters. Even then, all of them are horribly overpriced and Treekin/Treemen are actually pretty easy to deal with (seriously, who doesn't play with the Banner of Eternal Flame on a unit). Dryads, while strong, suffer from being skirmishers. Waywatchers are simply overpriced.

The whole "army of skirmishers" really hamstrings Wood Elves. It is characterful but unfortunately it causes more problems than anything else in the book. With the exception of Eternal Guard, EVERY unit in the book is fighting an uphill battle since they have to deal with static combat resolution. Wood Elves don't fight THAT good in order to overcome this deficit usually. Throw in the fact that they can't be steadfast or disrupt ranks (because they are skirmishers) and it's almost impossible for Wood Elves to break large units.

The book is full of cool but nearly useless units like Wardancers (sadly, as they were awesome in previous editions), Warhawk Riders, and Glade Riders (Wild Riders are better cavalry and eagles are better chaff killers, warmachine hunters, and redirectors for half the price).

Don't even get me started on the useless level 1 and 2 wizards. Wow. Stuck with a single Lore and it's the worst Lore in the entire game. Period. Lore of Heavens would be an upgrade and that's saying a lot since it is the weakest of the book lores by far.

While I'm not as optimistic as my WFB compatriot Wildey, I do hope that GW gives them proper coverage when the time comes. I don't think they'll touch anything that is existing plastic but I wouldn't be shocked if they came out with plastic kits to cover most of the range. Here's hoping they don't strip all the fluff out of the army but they make them viable on the tabletop somehow.

[Lord-Boofhead]

One example in another game system doesn´t change my point.

And I knida doubt that any proof would then.

Skaven are kinda popular, how often have they been updated?

[Wildeybeast]

I think you can keep the skirmishing element to wood elves, but it needs some additional rules. Perhaps they auto disrupt the enemy or gain stubborn, things like that. Make shooting more effective (I'd go with something along the Tk lines of no modifiers) and make the forest spirit save permanent. Even simple changes like that give you a much more effective army. Of course, we don't know what the meta will be come the summer, so speculation on changes beyond the models is largely redundant.

[eldargal]

If popularity dictated GW releases Dark Eldar never would have got such a big release. That at least taught GW that if you put in the effort to make a good book with good models you get good sales. Wood Elves will get their turn, whether or not it will come in one or more waves is a different question.

[qaz]

I think the chapterhouse fiasco has killed the possibility of multiple waves over more than a few weeks.

[angrybear]

I think the chapterhouse fiasco has killed the possibility of multiple waves over more than a few weeks.

Care to explain this statement? I can't say I followed the legal dispute but I don't see a connection.

[Tomgar]

According to a rumour on Faeit, a lot of Wood Elf stuff has been pulled from sale, including metal wardancers. Just thought it might be worth posting, might point to the April/May update I've been hoping for.

Edit: Hmm, just checked and Wardancers are still available on GW for me. Hoping this rumour pans out and they get a nice update.

[qaz]

************ I need WE spoilers!!!!

- - - Updated - - -

Care to explain this statement? I can't say I followed the legal dispute but I don't see a connection.

If GW releases rules without models other companies can make the models.

[Wildeybeast]

According to a rumour on Faeit, a lot of Wood Elf stuff has been pulled from sale, including metal wardancers. Just thought it might be worth posting, might point to the April/May update I've been hoping for.

Edit: Hmm, just checked and Wardancers are still available on GW for me. Hoping this rumour pans out and they get a nice update.

Trouble is, half the bret range got pulled a couple of months ago and there is nary a sniff of a rumour about them getting updated.