The Wild Hunt, Warherd of the Drakwald - 2000 point Beastman Army List. v.1.0

The Wild Hunt, Warherd of the Drakwald  - 2000 point Beastman Army List v.1.0

After much deliberation and thought, I have decided to run with a list that I felt was somewhat balanced and encompasses what I want to field in a 2000 point list with Beastmen.  Sadly, I did not have room for things such as Chaos Hounds, Tuskgor Chariots or 100 Gors but that's alright.  I wanted to accomplish three objectives when constructing this list and I have no doubt that it will be more fun to play than it is effective.

1. Use the models I enjoyed out of the army -  I love the limited edition Battle Standard Bearer, the Doombull, the Morghur model (based on a 25mm and being used as a Bray-shaman), the Gors and the Bestigor models.

2. Have a reasonably balanced army that could perform in every phase that also utilizes the Beastman army features such as Ambush.

3. Fit the theme of a roving warherd that has been terrorizing the Drakwald Forest and has set it's sights on Athel Loren, home of their hated rivals the Wood Elves.  The minotaur general has now taken the reins of the army after a catastrophic set back when the Great Hunt of Athel Loren ambushed the previous Beastlord's warherd and scattered the beasts to the far corners of the forest.  (The former Beastlord is now crucified on one of the Wood elf standards in my army)

The army is not big unfortunately, I had originally hoped that the army would exceed 100 models but due to the fact that I changed my mind during the list creation and added in a Monster that changed.  I expanded the list to 2500 points and suddenly the army grew to over 120 models so I am not overly worried about expansion.  

                                 

Rorg, the Horned King of the Drakwald. (image by Dan Scott)

I present you the 1.0 version of the Warherd of the Drakwald.

2000 Pts - Beastmen Roster

Doombull (1#, 298 pts)

1 Doombull, 298 pts (General; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Shield; Causes Fear; Frenzy; Stomp)

1 Sword of Swift Slaying

1 Dragonhelm

1 Uncanny Senses

Bray-Shaman (1#, 160 pts)

1 Bray-Shaman, 160 pts (Primal Fury; Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon)

1 Hunting Spear

1 Wildheart

1 0. Wyssan's Wildform

1 1. The Flock of Doom

1 2. Pann's Impenetrable Pelt

1 3. The Amber Spear

1 4. The Curse of Anraheir

1 5. The Savage Beast of Horrors

1 6. Transformation of Kadon

Wargor (1#, 164 pts)

1 Wargor (Battle Standard Bearer), 164 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Battle Standard Bearer)

1 The Steel-Claws

1 Gnarled Hide

Cygor (1#, 275 pts)

1 Cygor, 275 pts (Causes Terror; Immune to Psychology; Large Target; Magic Resistance (2); Stubborn; Thunder Stomp)

Harpies (5#, 70 pts)

5 Harpies, 70 pts (Flyer; Scouts)

Bestigor Herd (14#, 208 pts)

13 Bestigor Herd, 208 pts (Always Strikes Last; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)

1 Gouge-Horn (Always Strikes Last; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)

1 Banner of Eternal Flame

Minotaurs (5#, 325 pts)

5 Minotaurs, 325 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield; Stomp)

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)

23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)

23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Ungor Raiders (5#, 33 pts)

5 Ungor Raiders, 33 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

Ungor Raiders (5#, 33 pts)

5 Ungor Raiders, 33 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

Composition Report:

Points of Lords: 298 (0 - 500)

Points of Heroes: 324 (0 - 500)

Points of Core: 500 (500 - Unlimited)

Points of Special: 603 (0 - 1000)

Points of Rare: 275 (0 - 500)

Total Roster Cost: 2000

Three things you'll immediately notice:

1. Not a lot of models - I am aware of that but I seem to get by with less than 70 Wood elves so =).  Also I'm right at the 500 point mark for Core which I really wanted to be as high as my Special but I had to devote 275 points to Rare for this list.

2. No ward saves - I couldn't justify the point costs on them sadly, I figure 3+ armor save is good enough and if you manage to cut down a character more power to you.

3. Cygor in a 2000 point list - generally you want to avoid using a monster with a 275 point price tag in a 2k list but I wanted to throw it in and see how it works.  I also wanted to augment my shooting phase with something other than 10 ungor raiders and a bray-shaman hurling a hunting spear.

I'm going to really try to capitalize on Ambush and brute force without having to throw a ton of models at my opponent.  I'm hoping that the Minotaurs and Bestigors can form a good hammer and anvil combination while the Gors serve to protect their flanks.  Once again we'll have to see how this works out.

I'm sure this list will change slightly but for now I'm happy with it.  I would have preferred to have more Gors but that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.  Should I drop the Cygor then I would also dump the Hunting Spear (that item is still under fierce evaluation at this point and time) and fill that void with more Bestigors and a LOT more Gors.  Either way I'll hopefully be finished assembling this list in a week and be ready to get some Battle Reports flowing! 

Beastman Dilemma - How to build a herd?

So for the last few months I have been completing and playing my Wood Elf army - The Great Hunt.  Upon their completion (and the subsequent modification of the point level we play at - grumble, grumble), I decided to turn my attention to another army that had sparked my interest, The Beastmen.

In previous posts I have provided readers my thought process behind tactics, army composition and overall playstyle.  The Wood Elf army as well as the Eldar army provide me with the perfect selection of units to fit how I like to play.  Both armies possess fast and hard hitting units that require you to capitalize on outmaneuvering and surgically striking your opponents army.  So when I look for a second army in a game I attempt to look at the opposite spectrum in order to become a better player.
Example:
Ulthwe` Eldar - fast, fragile, precision - balanced army for both melee and shooting.
vs.
Black Templars - durable, strong, blunt - primarily a close combat army that punches you in the face.

It took me a while to figure out how to properly build a Black Templar army and even longer to learn to play it properly.  I couldn't use the same tactics that my Eldar used because the Black Templar army just didn't function that way.  I had to adapt and as a result I became a better player.

Now that I am fully vested into Fantasy, I find myself in the same dilemma again.  I have "mastered" how I like to play my Wood Elves and have developed tactics and a completely balanced list to be able to handle just about every army effectively.  So now that I am completely comfortable with my primary army, I felt it was time to branch out and learn another.

Enter the Beastmen.

The Beastmen army is rather interesting at first glance.  I really liked the Minotaurs and immediately wanted to field a lot of them.  I also liked the Gors, I felt they were perfect Core selections since they embodied a ruthless savagery that really communicated the overall theme for the army.  The Beastmen also were a close combat army, much like the Black Templars in 40k and so the theme continues.

Here are the major issues I am having and the reason for this post:
1.  Balanced army - I am having a real problem trying to actually build a balanced Beastman army.  Now when I say balanced, I mean strong in every phase of the game - Magic, Shooting and Close Combat.  My Wood Elves have managed to hit that perfect balance where they are effective in every phase.  I still have not managed to mentally make that shift for the Beastmen.  I have a feeling that I may have to concentrate primarily on ONE phase and pray that I am better at it than my opponent.

2. Themed army - I am currently juggling around several themes at the moment.  Each theme radically changes the entire composition of the army and as a result alters the playstyle.

3. Obvious weaknesses that I can not overcome - Beastmen suck at shooting.  No matter if you field 5 units of Ungor Raiders, they still suck.  Lack of armor is also a concern, while my Wood Elves compensate for it by skirmishing the Beastmen really have to get in there and smash so that isn't an option.

4. Avoiding the character heavy lists - I am trying to avoid spending more than 1/4 of the points on the Lord/Hero selections yet I keep ending up with about 750ish total for both.

5. Really awesome units that are not feasible to use in lower point games.  Rare selections for one, most of the chariots, Centigors, etc..

6. School of thought on number of models in army - Do I need to exceed 100 models in a 2000 point game? Do I need to horde up my Gors?  Should I bother Ambushing?

7. Lastly, how the hell am I supposed to play these guys?  My head tells me - rush forward and engage in close combat as soon as possible yet their special ability to ambush makes me wonder if I need to make 2 smaller units of Core to Ambush behind my opponent.


So as you can see I have several issues to hammer out and decide what to do.  I have not been idle however in this process.  So far I have managed to collect/assemble/buy the following units for my Beastmen.

2 Beastlord/Wargor Models
2 Out of Print Special Edition Wargor BSB models
Morghur
2 Bray Shaman
88 Gors (46 of them are older generation Gors, rest are the new ones)
44 Ungors (all have spears and are on 25mm bases so they need to be rebased)
4 Tuskgor Chariots
45 Bestigors (25 older metal models, 20 new plastic ones)
10 kit-bashed harpies (Daemonettes + gargoyles)
6 Minotaurs
1 Doombull model
1 Partially assembled Cygor (Giant)
3 Jabberslythe counts as (McFarlane dragons)
20 Chaos Hounds (10 metal, 10 plastic)
10 Centigors
1 Razorgor

So as you can see I have managed to amass a large collection because I thought I wanted to use this or that then after a while decided ...naw....

I will go ahead and post three lists that I have made over the last few weeks and I really welcome comments on them.  While I will not bore you with listing the thoughts and reasons behind making each list, I will just say that every list is themed in one way or another.  I will be doing follow up posts to these lists later on in the month after assembly has finished and I start actually playing them.

List 1

2000 Pts - Beastlord General Army Roster

Gorebull (1#, 247 pts)
1 Gorebull (Battle Standard Bearer), 247 pts (Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Shield; Battle Standard Bearer; Causes Fear; Frenzy)
1 Sword of Swift Slaying
1 Talisman of Protection
1 Uncanny Senses

Great Bray-Shaman (1#, 284 pts)
1 Great Bray-Shaman, 284 pts (Primal Fury; Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Talisman of Endurance
1 Gnarled Hide
1 Smoke and Mirrors
1 0. Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma
1 1. Steed of Shadows
1 2. The Enfeebling Foe
1 3. The Withering
1 4. The Penumbral Pendulum
1 5. Pit of Shades
1 6. Okkam's Mindrazor

Beastlord (1#, 215 pts)
1 Beastlord, 215 pts (General; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon)
1 The Steel-Claws
1 Armour of Fortune

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)
23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)
23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (20#, 185 pts)
19 Gor Herd, 185 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Minotaurs (5#, 325 pts)
5 Minotaurs, 325 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Bestigor Herd (20#, 280 pts)
19 Bestigor Herd, 280 pts (Always Strikes Last; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Gouge-Horn (Always Strikes Last; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Banner of Eternal Flame

Chaos Warhounds (5#, 30 pts)
5 Chaos Warhounds, 30 pts

Composition Report:
Points of Lords: 499 (0 - 500)
Points of Heroes: 247 (0 - 500)
Points of Core: 619 (500 - Unlimited)
Points of Special: 605 (0 - 1000)
Points of Rare: 0 (0 - 500)

Total Roster Cost: 2000


List 2 

2000 Pts - Doombull #1 General Army Roster

Doombull (1#, 326 pts)
1 Doombull, 326 pts (General; Hand Weapon; Shield; Causes Fear; Frenzy)
1 Sword of Swift Slaying
1 Armour of Fortune
1 Uncanny Senses
1 Gnarled Hide

Bray-Shaman (1#, 112 pts)
1 Bray-Shaman, 112 pts (Primal Fury; Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Smoke and Mirrors
1 0. Melkoth's Mystifying Miasma
1 1. Steed of Shadows
1 2. The Enfeebling Foe
1 3. The Withering
1 4. The Penumbral Pendulum
1 5. Pit of Shades
1 6. Okkam's Mindrazor

Wargor (1#, 166 pts)
1 ×Wargor (Battle Standard Bearer), 166 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Shield; Battle Standard Bearer)
1 The Steel-Claws
1 Talisman of Protection

Harpies (5#, 70 pts)
5 Harpies, 70 pts (Flyer; Scouts)

Ungor Raiders (7#, 42 pts)
7 Ungor Raiders, 42 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

Ungor Raiders (7#, 42 pts)
7 Ungor Raiders, 42 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Short Bow; Skirmishers)

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)
23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (24#, 217 pts)
23 Gor Herd, 217 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (20#, 185 pts)
19 Gor Herd, 185 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Bestigor Herd (19#, 268 pts)
18 Bestigor Herd, 268 pts (Always Strikes Last; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Gouge-Horn (Always Strikes Last; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Banner of Eternal Flame

Chaos Warhounds (5#, 30 pts)
5 Chaos Warhounds, 30 pts

Minotaurs (5#, 325 pts)
5 Minotaurs, 325 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Composition Report:
Points of Lords: 326 (0 - 500)
Points of Heroes: 278 (0 - 500)
Points of Core: 703 (500 - Unlimited)
Points of Special: 663 (0 - 1000)
Points of Rare: 0 (0 - 500)

Total Roster Cost: 2000

List 3 

2000 Pts - Minotaur Heavy Army Roster

Bestigor Herd (19#, 268 pts)
18 Bestigor Herd, 268 pts (Always Strikes Last; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Gouge-Horn (Always Strikes Last; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour)
1 Banner of Eternal Flame

Minotaurs (5#, 325 pts)
5 Minotaurs, 325 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Minotaurs (6#, 384 pts)
6 Minotaurs, 384 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield)

Gor Herd (30#, 265 pts)
29 Gor Herd, 265 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Gor Herd (30#, 265 pts)
29 Gor Herd, 265 pts (Ambush; Primal Fury; Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)
1 Foe-Render (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Extra Attack)

Doombull (1#, 326 pts)
1 Doombull, 326 pts (General; Hand Weapon; Shield; Causes Fear; Frenzy)
1 Sword of Swift Slaying
1 Armour of Fortune
1 Gnarled Hide
1 Uncanny Senses

Wargor (1#, 164 pts)
1 Wargor (Battle Standard Bearer), 164 pts (Primal Fury; Hand Weapon; Heavy Armour; Battle Standard Bearer)
1 The Steel-Claws
1 Talisman of Protection

Composition Report:
Points of Lords: 326 (0 - 500)
Points of Heroes: 164 (0 - 500)
Points of Core: 530 (500 - Unlimited)
Points of Special: 977 (0 - 1000)
Points of Rare: 0 (0 - 500)

Total Roster Cost: 1997



So there we have it.  Once again I throw up three lists for appraisal and comments and we'll see how things work out.  I'm fairly certain I will end up not using any of those and make yet another "perfect" list after a few weeks.

Thanks!

A new beginning, The Great Hunt 2000 point Wood Elf List.

So after many days of not posting anything due to the extremely busy holiday season, I have finally pegged down exactly what I want to run for my 2000 point Wood Elf list.  Why 2000? Well, if you recall from my previous post/rant the gaming club where I play will be gearing up for the yearly OFCC tournament soon and that has been the decided army point total.

This list is essentially my 2500 point list but with several minor changes.  I really liked how my old list played but I had to cut out the War Hawk Riders, reduce the size of my Glade Guard units and my Dryads slightly as well as reduce my Level 4 Spellweaver with the Wand of the Wych Elm down to a Level 3 with a ward save.  I did lose some offensive power but I feel that since I already know how the flow of this list works and feel confident in it that I shouldn't have too much trouble having a fun game with it.  My only concern so far is that I lost 15 shots a turn going from 2500 to 2000 and my chances of getting the spells I wanted has been reduced but that's alright.


2000 Pts - The Great Hunt, War Host of Athel Loren

Waywatcher Lord Sylvos Greystorm the Huntsman, Ranger General of Athel Loren (1#, 239 pts)
1 Wood Elf Highborn, 239 pts (General; Scout Kindred; Hand Weapon; Longbow; Extra Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Extra Attack)
1 The Bow of Loren
1 Arcane Bodkins

The Stalkers of the Silent Path (10#, 240 pts)
10 Waywatchers, 240 pts (Hand Weapon; Extra Hand Weapon; Longbow; Extra Attack; Scouts; Skirmishers)

Archdruidess Nysa Greystorm the Storm Maiden, Heirophant of Athel Loren (1#, 230 pts)
1 Spellweaver, 230 pts (Hand Weapon; Longbow)
1 Talisman of Protection

The Farstriders of Lady Dreamsinger (14#, 186 pts)
14 Glade Guard, 186 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow)

The Twilight Host (14#, 186 pts)
14 Glade Guard, 186 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Longbow)

The Handmaidens of Durthu, the Verdant Rage (10#, 132 pts)
9 Dryads, 132 pts (Causes Fear; Skirmishers)
1 Branch Nymph

Scryah, the Last Shadow (1#, 50 pts)
1 Great Eagle, 50 pts (Flyer)

Gwynador, the Scion of the Sethayla (1#, 50 pts)
1 Great Eagle, 50 pts (Flyer)

The Wolfkin, Feral Knights of Durthu (6#, 390 pts)
6 Tree Kin, 390 pts (Causes Fear; Flammable; Scaly Skin)

The Outriders of Twilight, Huntsmen of Kurnous (10#, 296 pts)
9 Wild Riders of Kurnous, 296 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Spear; Light Armour; Fast Cavalry; Magic Resistance (1))
1 Wild Hunter (Spear; Light Armour)
10 Elven Steed

Composition Report:
Points of Lords: 469 (0 - 500)
Points of Heroes: 0 (0 - 500)
Points of Core: 504 (500 - Unlimited)
Points of Special: 686 (0 - 1000)
Points of Rare: 340 (0 - 500)

Total Roster Cost: 1999


Please feel free to leave a comment about the list, I am always interested in what people think when they see a list online.  I find it interesting to see how people regard certain units and how they use them.

I will be posting my 2000 point Beastman list soon - and as soon as Forge World releases the info about the new Eldar Aspect Warriors they have I will list my 2000 point Eldar and Black Templar lists.

While the Wood Elves are played with finesse, I will be playing Beastmen the way they were intended.  Run forward and smash. Occasionally eat someone and then continue to smash. (much like the way I play my Black Templars minus the eating of someone).

Army List modifications due to Army size changes.

So the news has come in that instead of the 2500 point format that everyone had suspected would be the norm, my local gaming club and area will be shifting to 2000 points.  This decision I am not a fan of due to the fact that I have gotten very comfortable with 2500 point lists but as they say in football, rub some dirt on it and get back out there.

I will be retooling all my lists to fit a 2000 point format in Warhammer Fantasy, I may even retool all my Warhammer 40k army lists to also fit this format.  Why not make it standard for both games?

Rather than go on a long and involved diatribe about how 2000 points severely limits the functionality of many armies in a competitive arena, especially those with older army books... I will just make a few follow up posts in the next few days detailing the following lists:

The Great Hunt, War Host of Athel Loren - 2000 point Wood Elf Army
The Wild Hunt, Warherd of the Drakenwald - 2000 point Beastman Army
The Company of the Damned - 2000 point Ulthwe` Eldar Army
Helbrecht's IX Legion - 2000 point Black Templar Army

Anyway, dinner is ready and I've stalled as long as I dare before angering the better half.

Later!

Wood Elf Tactica - Treekin

I apologize for lack of updates in the last few weeks, gaming has been on a brief sojourn and I've been terribly busy doing other things.  (Composing a Dark Eldar army list that fits my playstyle for one).  I will start off this next topic with the tactics I use for my Treekin.  As I have said before, these are the ways that I personally use these units and I welcome the input of others on how they use them.

Wood Elf Tactica - Treekin


The Special selection for the Wood Elf army, the Treekin are arguably the best Monstrous Infantry in the game.  Why?   Well let's look at their stats first and foremost.  They are Str 5 and Tough 5 and have 3 wounds.  They are initiative 3 and boast a hefty 3 attacks each and the have both a 4+ armor save and a 5+ ward save.  Now yes they are flammable but we'll address that concern later.

The Treekin unit provides the Wood Elf army with some much needed toughness, durability and strength.  The majority of the Wood Elf army is not heavily armored nor especially tough or built to dig in and sustain multiple rounds of combat.  The Treekin however provide you with an incredible anvil to have your opponent smash into.

Let's examine the benefits and detriments of the Treekin unit.  (or as they are represented in my army as the Wolfkin, Feral Knights of Coeth Mara - teehee go go roleplaying nerdness!)

Pros:

• Monstrous Infantry - They are able to rank up 3 wide and get all their attacks 2 ranks deep.  They are able to utilize Stomp and a standard unit of 6 will provide you with 18 attacks.
• Scaly Skin of 4+ 
• Toughness, Strength and Movement of 5
• Initiative, Wounds and Attacks of 3
• Cause Fear and are Tree Spirits (Immune to Psychology and 5+ ward save)

Cons

• Their 5+ Ward Save is negated by magical attacks or spells.
• They are flammable and as a result take double the amount of wounds from flaming attacks
• They are very expensive - 65 points a piece.  A unit of 6 will run you 390 points.

In 7th edition I did not run Treekin because they were too expensive for what I was getting in return, however in 8th edition this unit has become a very serious staple in all my lists.  Now the question is, how do I use these elite monstrous infantry?

1. The Anvil -  I will march the Treekin towards what I have decided is the most threatening unit and have my opponent smash into them.  The Treekin normally can hold strong against practically anything allowing me to smash into the opponent's flanks with my other melee centered units.

2. The Shield - I will place the Treekin next to my Dryads and Wild Riders and march them forward at an angle providing the other two units with cover until the entire flank of my army is able to attack with the Treekin leading the charge.  This tactic is difficult to pull off if your opponent has multiple large blocks of infantry or massed shooting.

3. The Blender - Using my Wild Riders or Dryads as the initial charge unit, I will attempt to slam into the unfortunate enemy's flank and unleash the full strength of this fully operation death star upon them.

4.  The Roadblock - I will park the Treekin in a spot where my opponent has to engage them first or be forced to go around and get flank charged by another unit or eat 2 full 20 man glade guard units worth of arrows.  This tactic is similar to the Shield but I allow the opponent to come to me rather than me to him.

You can not be timid when using Treekin, they are tough as nails and can withstand a lot of punishment.  Using synergy with the Lore of Beasts can be ultra effective with Treekin.  Wyssan's Wildform can turn them into Treemen without the Thunderstop.  Having Str 6/T6 monstrous infantry is a nightmare to any opponent.  Lore of Life can also make them ridiculously tough giving them Tough 9!  In several of my games, I've used my Treekin to draw out my opponent and force them to engage them where I want them too.  This is perfect for Wood Elves since we work best when we can pick our fights rather than have them chosen for us.

The most optimal unit size for Treekin is 6.  I've seen some lists where people run 4 of them with only 1 rank or will run 8 treekin 4 wide and 2 ranks deep.  Honestly, for the point cost 6 give you the most bang for your buck.  Also if you are able to slam into your opponent's flank, they can negate ranks.  In smaller point games (sub 2000) taking more than 3 Treekin is really cost prohibitive but depending on how you support them with other units can be effective.  While your Treekin are tough as ...a tree, they do need support.  You need to always have another unit nearby to flank or rear charge your opponent.  Not many units if any can stand up to 6 Treekin and another unit of either Dryads or Wild Riders chewing through them.

Anyway hope this has been helpful to other Wood Elf players!

I'll post more hopefully in the next few weeks.