The most important factor that a new player must weigh when choosing a army to collect and paint is the particular style of that race. By this, I mean what things one army is better suited to do than others. For example, Dwarves can field more artillery than most races and Orc/Goblin armies can have massive amounts of troops. One must weigh these advantages against the inherent disadvantages of that army. For example, Dwarves move slowly and Orcs/Goblins are easily panicked. The Wood Elves' advantages include mobility, firepower, and versatility. Their main disadvantage is having smaller numbers of lightly armored troops. While like most elves they suffer from a low strength and toughness, the wood elf army is bolstered by fearsome dryads, and treemen, who more than fill these needs. Once the new player has understood these army characteristics, he must tailor his forces to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages. The Wood Elf Army is very mobile. By this, I mean that most of its troop types move quickly compared to other forces. When selecting units to paint and play with, the new player should include some fast moving units. However, some mobile units, like chariots, require a good deal of modeling expertise to complete and young players should save them for later. One fast moving, and hard hitting troop type I would recommend to new gamers, are Wardancers. Wardancers are mobile and have special dances which make them worthy components of your battle force. Furthermore, they are fun to paint because of their outlandish clothing and funky hair-styles. I would recommend a unit of 8 or 10, as this way they get a rank bonus and can absorb some casualties before becoming useless. I would also equip these warriors with an extra hand weapon, as the shield saves little of the time and Wardancers have a 6 unmodifiable save regardless. Games Workshop sells Wardancers in blister packs of 2, for $6.00 to $7.00 each. Spending $30.00 to $40.00 then gives you an excellent unit. The next specialty of the Wood Elf Army is versatility. One of the most versatile creatures the Wood Elves have available are the Treemen. Treemen are large, tough, fast, and mean. They strike fear into the hearts of opponents as they waltz across the battlefield. Treemen also attract lots of attention from the opposing side, so they can protect other Wood Elf units from the attention of enemy war machines. Treemen fill many of the natural weaknesses of the rest of your force. They have a very high toughness, and strength and can usually take a pounding before they break. Treemen function well as both part of a team or on their own. Treemen are fun and quick to paint. They are expensive both point-wise (280) and dollar-wise ($25), but are well worth it. The final, and most famous advantage Wood Elves employ is the fire power of their infamous archers. Wood Elf archers have a BS of 4 and have elven long bows that hit from 36" out. They are most effective in mid-sized units (@ 10 archers) that stand and shoot. The mid-size unit allows an army to field several groups. This maximizes their line of sight and minimizes the chance of an opponent routing or destroying all the archers in a single swoop. Mid-sized units also group enough archers together to hit, damage, and hopefully kill several enemy soldiers a round. Seeing how moving the archers also hampers their ability to hit, the best tactic is to pick a open area and sit them there for as long as possible. This way, the archers are being used the most effectively. Furthermore, I recommend that one concentrate all his archer fire on one unit. This maximizes the chances of causing a panic check. To the beginning player, I would recommend at least one, if not two, archer units of 10 each. If possible buy the box of plastic archers, as this is the cheapest method. Otherwise, purchase the archers in metal blister packs. Either way, this gives the beginner two respectable archer units for $70. Furthermore, if one paints the archers in batches of 5-10, he can get the units ready for battle in minimal time. If the beginning player follows the above recommendations, and adds a few character models, he will have a substantial 1000 point army. All that remains if for him to put the pieces of his army together into an effective battle plan. I have several suggestions to this point. First, the archers are exceedingly vulnerable, especially to flying troops. One solution to this problem is to have a unit of Wardancers guard the archers from threats. Another problem is that if one advances your troops in front of a unit of archers, they cannot shoot. Therefore, I recommend moving units up on either sides of the archers, so they funnel enemy units into the archers' line of fire. Finally, make the most out of Wood Elf mobility and fire-power by letting the enemy cross the board first. This way as he moves across the board, he is hailed with arrows. Finally, I have a few suggestions for future purchases. Obtain a solid block of spearmen. These troops do not cost much and can withstand attrition that other units cannot. Also look into a chariot because of its speed and hard hitting charge. One may also want to purchase units of calvary or flying monsters because of their versatility. Finally, a unit of dryads can also add some needed punch to the Wood Elf force. The best advise of all is to experiment. Do what is right for your tactics and build upon what your opponents do. Experience is the best teacher of all.
