Tuesday 11 March 2014

Ask And The Forest Will Answer

When i got home from work today the following were waiting on my bed.


These were bought off were bought off the GW website, and before i go on let me explain. These units form part of my revamped Wood Elf army that i plan to enter in Runefang during April. I simply didn't have the time to find alternate Dryad or Waywatcher models, so feel to rail against me in the comment sections but keep in mind that i plan to buy a limited edition Wood Elf Army Book when they come on sale in may. On the positive side i order the models last Thursday and they arrived today (Tuesday) so well done GW on the speedy delivery,  but you never thought i would say that.

Now those of you who have fought me before know that my lists tend to have large amounts of Glade Guard, backed up by at the least 2 Treemen and buffed by a level 4 Spellweaver (mainly life), and those who have faced the army also know how easy it is to beat. Simply destroy the Treemen, engage the Glade Guard and game over in my opponents favour.  However the above reinforcements herald the end of that list. The new list (which ,because i work in IT, is called Winters Stalkers V 3.5) has been completely rebalanced and can be found below:

2400 Pts - Wood Elves Roster - Midwinter's Stalkers V 3.5

Total Roster Cost: 2400

Highborn (1#, 226 pts)
   1 Wood Elf Highborn, 151 pts = (base cost 145 + Great Weapon 6)
      1 Armour of Silvered Steel, 45 pts
      1 Stone of Rebirth, 30 pts

Spellweaver (1#, 335 pts)
   1 Spellweaver, 250 pts = (base cost 215 + Level 4 Upgrade 35)
      1 Wand of Wych Elm, 55 pts
      1 Glamorweave, 30 pts

Noble (1#, 137 pts)
   1 Wood Elf Noble (Battle Standard Bearer), 92 pts = (base cost 75 + Light Armour 2 + Battle Standard Bearer 15)
      1 Dragonhelm, 10 pts
      1 Amaranthine Brooch, 35 pts

Eternal Guard (20#, 270 pts)
   19 Eternal Guard, 246 pts = 19 * 12 (base cost 12) + Musician Mus 6 + Standard Bearer Std 12
      1 Guardian, 24 pts

Glade Guard (15#, 208 pts)
   15 Glade Guard, 198 pts = 15 * 12 (base cost 12) + Musician Mus 6 + Standard Bearer Std 12
      1 Banner of Eternal Flame, 10 pts

Glade Guard (15#, 186 pts)
   15 Glade Guard, 186 pts = 15 * 12 (base cost 12) + Musician Mus 6

Dryads (15#, 180 pts)
   15 Dryads, 180 pts = 15 * 12

Dryads (15#, 180 pts)
   15 Dryads, 180 pts = 15 * 12

Tree Kin (6#, 390 pts)
   6 Tree Kin, 390 pts = 6 * 65

Waywatchers (6#, 144 pts)
   6 Waywatchers, 144 pts = 6 * 24

Waywatchers (6#, 144 pts)
   6 Waywatchers, 144 pts = 6 * 24


Far more balance, far more combat, and the 6 Treekin can put out more damage than even 2 Treeman could (its 18 WS 4, S 5 attacker per turn with 3 stomps). So far, in the one game that this list has been in (and it was V 3.4, it lacked the Treekin and there were only 10 Waywatchers) the list preformed well. Granted it was against a Orc and Goblin player whom the Dice Gods frowned on, but all units preformed the roles i had in mind for them and i enjoy the next game i get to use this list in, which is against Jayden's Gunline Empire list which should be a fun little challenge.

Before i close out this post i just want to talk about GW. Now in the past i have been very hard on GW, and now i feel the need to clarify my position. The guys at GW who handle online orders and shipping are excellent, fast commutation that keeps you well informed and speedy delivery all helped make the experience wonderful. However i still have a huge issue with whomever does pricing and marketing at GW, excellent online service doesn't make the actual products any cheaper. Until next time.
Rex

10 comments:

  1. So I know just about nothing on fantasy. I have heard that wood elves are really underpowered right now, why is that? if its true. Is it just from being out of date?

    Its good to see perspective towards GW and acknwoledge that they do some things really well. While I am not as upset with their pricing as most, even I find it hard to buy the models at their prices if I can find cheaper. But pricing is only one part and its nice to see more than just GW hate.

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    1. Yes Wood Elves are really under powered right now and that is mainly due to the armybook being 9 years old, it is kinda like how the Dark Eldar were before their latest book.

      And about the whole anti GW thing. Its mainly because when i started this hobby ten years ago they were a different company, White Dwarf had lore stories, conversion articles, interesting and unique battle reports where the victor was pre determined. You got boxes for 20 core/troop models for 55 dollars and codices and army books were 45 dollars. Fast forward to now and that company is gone and replaced by a almost completely different one. So thats where most of my GW anger comes from.

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    2. And that is completely underestandable, I certainly have my gripes with them and feelings of dislike. I think though the significant reinvestment into the game in the last 2 years has really made me happier with them. The prices still bother me, but the models now at least reflect the qualtiy the price is supposed to reflect. The models really have gotten so much better in the past few years. Really I think when Dark Eldar were redone, that is where it started.

      I really hope they get more involved and become the more community invovled company they used to be, and I think they are making steps that direction. With the FB page and the new WD, they are making steps in the right direction, though they still stumble. If they can ease up on being dicks in the lawsuit department as well, that would be a huge step forward for me as well.

      Im more in the middle now, not really angry, but I don't trust them yet either.


      Hopefully Wood elves get their update soon, at the very least GW is pumping out new books at a very fast rate. I like the idea of them.

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    3. Hopefully they are getting better, i cant really tell i mean they have started doing "Day 1 DLC" one of the most despised practices from the video game industry, and the prices can only seem to go up. I can only hope that one day GW will once again become the company that encouraged its community to involved in world wide events, and showcased the best the community had to offer

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    4. I personally don't mind the whole digital and supplement releases. I like how they are adding so much to the hobby. Very little of it is auto take, so its more of do like playing with these things, then take them. I have bought only a couple of the digital releases and been happy with it. I like that the love is being spread. Yes its smart business too as it brings in revenue, but thats life. Only a few have really been sloppy. Most are quality and continue the trend of great artwork and fluff, with decent rules. There are def holes. And prices could be lower as if they were, then i would have most of the digital releases rather than a few. I know people are calling it pay to play, but well thats how this game is. If I buy leman russes, then I get to use them, if I buy 9, my codex says I can use them. Sorry I have more money than the guy who can only get one, but I should not be forced to aquiesce to the poorest player. Now I would be personally a dick if I brought that army against him if he had no way to deal with it. 40k has always been pay to play, its the nature of the hobby, we don't pay a straight up price like a video game and have access to all armies. Sorry I hate when people try to compare it to the video game DLC, as they are completely different things and not comparable. If you paid GW a subscription and got access to models at the store, but then they released specials and you had to pay additional fees to use those too then I would see the analagy as accurate. But as it is, you have to buy models to play and what have is going to dertmine the level you can play at based off your skill and experience. Sorry started going again.

      I think they are tippy toing back into the community. The internet scared them so I think they are experimenting with the FB page to see how well that works, and I agree and really hope to see GW get back involved in world wide campaigns, it really is what set them apart in the beginning.

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    5. Remember all it takes is one person in the group to buy these then everyone has access.

      I too love the wealth of options and I personally have purchased none yet. But with the Imperial Guard release this may change. So im in the same vote. I like where 40k is going. I love variety and never before has there been so much. I like having surprises around the corner.

      I tend to show up at the club with units people have never heard about. They are usually FW and suck rules wise but at least its something different. I imagine that soon this will be a common thing. Armies are being released at a great rate and well everything is awesome except the price. But I can deal with that.

      I used to hate GW a lot too, and to be frank there is lots to like. But times be changin' and I like it so far. Heck I might have my first supplement and data thingy soon.

      The way it is is great. People just need to realize they dont have to play the game as written. People just need to relax about the game, plan them, work out what they dont want in the game and work around that.

      But prices can be a bit on the high side I will agree.

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    6. @ Grumpy Guardsman
      Dont apologize, please this is all good honest discussion. If i am wrong on this issue then debate and discussion is how i will change my mind. I used the video game analogy because what Day 1 DLC refers to is when a company cuts little parts off a game and then offers them up on release date as Day 1 DLC for profit. And i feel that in certain situations (like the Tyranid codex) that this has happened with GW, they took parts of the codex, removed them from the book and offered them up as Day 1 DLC for profit.

      And its practice like that, and the prices, that stop me from fully supporting GW. As far as i am aware no other wargame company does the Day 1 DLC practice. They are getting beter but they have some ways yet to go.

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    7. I just don't see the DLC comparison as applicable. Nothing in them was absent in terms of rules for units. It was a set of rules to use the models in different and more fluffy ways. Now people didn't like it because they saw those units as bad in the codex and saw it as GW prodiving rules that made those units competetive. I don't see them cutting content, but adding to things that didn't exist before. And for tyranids it is great since they have no ally options. Tyranids were such a disapointing release because expectations were so high, it was impossible to be happy with the release even though the codex is solid. It could have certainly been better, but nothing was intentionally cut that I can see.

      Part of the problem I see is that people expect GW to do bad things, so whenever they do something, they find a way to twist it into being malicious. So content comes out after the codex, automatically its them adding cut content becuase thats what GW does. Granted thats a very general statement, but there is almost a culture of people expecting GW doing bad things and finding ways to fit anything they do into that box.

      And like it or not, other companies will follow GW in this practice. They may market it differently, but they will do the same in time, its an effective way market and sell their product.

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  2. Um, maybe I don't get Wood Elves but why would somebody dump on your for buying those models. They're some of GWs best last time I took a look at them, especially the Dryads which seem to match what I know of WE fluff spot on. Maybe I'm just confused.

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    1. I wrote that because i while back i boycotted GW because if their prices, and i announced it on this blog. So thats why i added that part

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