ISSUE 14 - 3rd May 2014

Editor: Jes Bickham
jes@whitedwarf.co.uk

Assistant Editor: Matt Keefe
mattk@whitedwarf.co.uk

Senior Staff Writer: Adam Troke
adam@whitedwarf.co.uk

Staff Writer: Daniel Harden
dan@whitedwarf.co.uk

Production Lead: Rebecca Ferguson
rebecca@whitedwarf.co.uk

Digital Editor: Melissa Roberts
melissa@whitedwarf.co.uk

Lead Designer: Matthew Hutson
matt@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Kristian Shield
kris@whitedwarf.co.uk

Designer: Ben Humber
ben@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photo Editor: Glenn More
glenn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Erik Niemz
erik@whitedwarf.co.uk

Photographer: Martyn Lyon
martyn@whitedwarf.co.uk

Distribution Lead: Andy Keddie
andy@whitedwarf.co.uk

Publisher: Paul Lyons
paul@whitedwarf.co.uk

This week, more reinforcements arrive from the wild depths of Athel Loren – it seems only fitting, then, that we put them to the test in a Battle Report against the vile depredations of the Children of Chaos. If you want to see the horrendous damage a single unit of Wild Riders can do to a Beastmen army, then check out ‘The Battle of Fell Glade’ later in the issue.

That’s not the only gaming content we’ve got for you this issue, either, as our own Adam Troke has come up with a fun minigame that lets you do a little something else with your fancy new Treeman model (in shops today). Namely, defend the borders of Athel Loren from dread despoilers. We’ve had a lot of fun with it in the White Dwarf office, so we hope it gives you similar enjoyment; we recommend swapping sides after each game to see if you can outdo your opponent’s efforts.

And with that, another editorial is over. I hope you enjoy the issue!

Protectors of the sacred groves and glades of Athel Loren during the icy chill of winter, the Eternal Guard are a standing force of elite warriors sworn to the service of an Elf Lord or Lady. Their loyalty and dedication is equalled only by their skill with spear and shield.

In the winter months the forest spirits of Athel Loren slumber and, thus, protecting the woodland realm is the duty of the Eternal Guard who stand sentinel throughout the harsh cold. Each Lord is expected to keep a company of Eternal Guard of his own for this purpose, and to act as bodyguards on the field of battle, where they can be expected to fight and, if needs be, die to defend their charge.

The Eternal Guard are a multi-part plastic boxed set, providing all the options you need to make 10 warriors armed with Asrai spears, with optional shields. There are also components for the command group, with a banner bearer, musician and a unit champion, known as the Eternal Warden, who has a grander helm than his fellows and a wields a rune-carved sword.

A nice point of detail is the shape of the war crowns worn by the Eternal Guard. The style of these closely matches the conical shape of High Elf and Dark Elf helmets, implying a common heritage. AT

1 - The Eternal Guard banner is topped with a heart, symbolising the heart of the woodland realm of Athel Loren.

2 - There are 10 Eternal Guard heads in the box, each of which is different, with unique hair and helms. The infinity symbol is an allusion to their role as perpetual wardens of Athel Loren.

3 - There is an extra head in the set intended for the Eternal Warden, as well as an Elven blade.

4 - All 10 of the shields in the kit are unique. These are attached to the models via a fitting on the rear that connects to the Eternal Guard’s bracers.

There is an area of Athel Loren known as the Wildwood, where the most dangerous and capricious forest spirits live. The borders of this dangerous realm are subject to the constant vigilance of the mysterious warriors known as Wildwood Rangers.

Wildwood Rangers are Wood Elves whose lives have been ravaged by forest spirits. Driven by vengeance, they take up the ceremonial glaive of the Wildwood Rangers and vow their lives to guarding its borders so that others might be spared the tragic loss that comes should the forest spirits escape and run amok. In times of dire threat, the Rangers will align themselves to larger Wood Elf armies, to drive out intruders, prevent the borders of the Wildwood being threatened or to hunt down errant forest spirits.

The rangers appear swathed in shadow, their capes and hooded heads dark symbols of Elves who given up their former lives to undertake a new and solemn duty. They are each armed with large two-handed glaives, graceful yet deadly weapons perfect for hacking down wayward Dryads or Treemen, or Orcish intruders for that matter. The kit enables you to make 10 plastic models in total, with options for a full command group including banner bearer, musician and Wildwood Warden. AT

1 - The Wildwood Rangers wear hoods to shroud their faces. Some even conceal their faces completely.

2 - The Wildwood Warden has two axes, helping to distinguish him from his fellow rangers.

3 - The Wildwood Warden wears a war crown of entwined branches.

4 - Each Wildwood Ranger is armed with a glaive, both a badge of office and a formidable weapon, carved with the symbol of their eternal vigilance.

5 - Wildwood Rangers handle their immense glaives with incredible dexterity.

The Sisters of the Thorn are Ariel’s handmaidens, a mysterious coven of immortal sorceresses imbued with otherworldly magic. Mounted on noble Steeds of Isha, they weaken their foes with withering curses and waves of entropy before darting in for the kill.

Like their queen, the Sisters of the Thorn are magical beings. In one hand they carry staffs topped with jagged crystals while the other is poised to cast a spell upon an unsuspecting enemy. On their backs sit a pair of blackbriar javelins, coated with deadly toxins with which to poison their foes. Their chosen mounts are the Steeds of Isha, mystical creatures perfectly attuned to their riders, enabling them to bound across the battlefield at an astonishing pace without ever losing the sorceresses straddling their backs.

This multi-part plastic boxed set contains enough parts to build five Sisters of the Thorn, with plenty of options for each of them. The rider’s legs can fit on any of the five steeds, and the torsos, heads and hair are all interchangeable, meaning you can mix the components to make each set different. There are also optional parts to make a musician, a standard bearer and a Handmaiden of the Thorn, one of Ariel’s chosen champions, who carries an even more elaborate staff and is marked out by her impressive headdress. DH

1 - Sisters of the Thorn carry staffs capped with a shard of precious stone.

2 - The agile Sisters stand on runners, rather than sitting on a saddle.

3 - The steeds are graceful but stern-looking mounts.

4 - Leaves are woven into the Sisters’ flowing hair.

5 - Sorcerous fire engulfs the hands of two Sisters.

6 - Each Sister carries a pair of Blackbriar javelins.

7 - The banner crest is a sinister faceless mask.

8 - Each Sister of the Thorn wears a high-collared ceremonial coat.

The Wild Riders of Kurnous are impulsive, aggressive warriors who ride to war on foul-tempered Steeds of Kurnous. As Orion’s personal bodyguard, they ride beside him during the great hunt, their legendary ferocity made all the more fearsome by his presence.

Having spent decades in Orion’s presence, the Wild Riders have begun to change, becoming wild and feral like their fey lord. Where the Sisters of the Thorn radiate an air of serenity, the Wild Riders stand tall and aggressive, riding into battle bare-chested, their faces hidden behind metal war masks crowned with antlers mirroring those of their king. Their hair and vine-strewn capes billowing behind them, they charge into battle on snarling Steeds of Kurnous that buck and rear as they dash through the forest with wildest fury.

This multi-part plastic boxed set enables you to build five Wild Riders, all armed with spears and shields. The kit also includes parts to build a standard bearer, a musician and a unit champion, known as a Wild Hunter. The Wild Hunter is Orion’s chief equerry during the winter months, and holds aloft a rune-engraved sword, commanding his frenzied brethren into battle, their thunderous charge announced by the pounding of hooves and the blare of the musician’s horn, an echo of the Horn of the Wild Hunt carried by Orion. DH

1 - The Wild Rider banner streams behind the riders. The central panel of the banner is left blank, enabling you to paint in your own unit icon.

2 - The Wild Riders wear fully-enclosed helms, only their glowing eyes visible behind their masks.

3 - The Steeds of Kurnous bear great antlers marked with Elven runes.

4 - The Wild Riders wear long capes wreathed with a collar of ivy.

5 - Each rider wears a scale-mail skirt to protect his legs in battle. The scales are, appropriately, shaped like leaves.

Before the Wood Elves ever wandered the paths and glades of Athel Loren, the forest spirits made it their home. When the woods are menaced, they rise up still, rousing limb and branch to smite invaders with the unrelenting fury of nature.

Beneath the boughs of Athel Loren, the Elves are not the only warriors guarding dark paths and hidden places, for the spirits of the forest are vengeful when their domain is threatened and do not hesitate to slaughter those who trespass. Towering Treemen, wise old spirits who have become one with great trees, stride into battle, crushing Orcs or Beastmen with every brutal swing of their limbs; lithe Dryads, the most spiteful and cruel of the forest spirits, emerge from the deep places, attacking savagely, impaling their victims with thorny fingers, tearing their flesh from their bones with atavistic fury. About them, the air is filled with the mad, cackling glee of wicked Spites.

The Guardians of The Deepwood set contains a mighty force of forest spirits, with three towering Treemen and 36 Dryads. Each Treeman can be assembled as a Treemen, Treeman Ancient or Durthu, providing the makings of a goodly ‘forest spirit army’, filled with sturdy giants and their cruel spirit-maids. AT

As the foul Children of Chaos muster to topple a powerful waystone and scour the glades of Athel Loren, Lord Araloth must gather his warriors to thwart their plans. Welcome to our battle report, as we try out the Wood Elves against a Beastman horde.

WARRIORS OF TALSYN

• Araloth, Lord of Talsyn

• Durthu

• Aerlyn, Spellweaver with Moonstone of the Hidden Ways

• The Spears of Talsyn - 40 Eternal Guard with command

• The Sylvan Bows - 20 Glade Guard with command

• Darrian’s Archers - 20 Glade Guard with command

• The Dark Watchers - 20 Wildwood Rangers with command

• The Dancers of Loec - 10 Wardancers with command

• Isha’s Maidens - 10 Sisters of the Thorn with command

• The Fell Hunt - 10 Wild Riders with command

• Calaic Newshoot - Treeman with strangleroots

THE BRAYING HERD

• Felgor, Doombull with Sword of Striking, heavy armour, Gnarled Hide, Ramhorn Helm and Dawnstone

• Morghur, Master of Skulls

• Gzargath, Bray Shaman

• Tolgroth, Wargor with Battle Standard and Arrmour of Silvered Steel

• The Flesh Grinders - 2 Tuskgor Chariots

• The Howling Horde - 20 Gor with additional hand weapons and command

• Knorglok’s Raiders - 10 Ungor with spears

• The Beast Howlers - 20 Ungor with full command

• The Slathering Hounds - 10 Warhounds with poisoned attacks and scaly skin

• Tzulkan, Cygor

• Gnashgrolk, Ghorgon

• Slithaul, Jabberslythe

• The Bullgors - 4 Minotaurs with great weapons

• Felgor’s Herd - 5 Minotaurs with additional hand weapons and command

• Tolgroth’s Bloodkin -10 Bestigor

Adam: Warhammer: Wood Elves is packed full of fantastic stories of the Elves of Athel Loren defending their woodland home from foul intruders, or taking the fight to their enemies across the Warhammer world. One of the themes that recurs is the constant strife between the Wood Elves and the Beastmen, as the Children of Chaos constantly seek ways to enter Athel Loren and sow destruction. With that in mind, White Dwarf’s newest recruit, Andy Keddie, and I concocted a scenario to recreate the ancient struggle, with Andy leading the Beastmen and me in charge of the Wood Elves.

The Beastmen’s mission was to topple a mighty waystone on the borders of the forest. They would win if any Beastman model could make it into base contact with the waystone. The Wood Elves not only had to stop the Beastmen from achieving their mission at all costs, but also kill the leaders of the herd to shatter their resolve permanently.

To set up, we took it in turns placing our units, recreating the image of two armies mustering against one another. This phase became a game of cat-and-mouse as Andy and I vied to get strong starting positions. Both our armies started around the middle of our deployment zones, Andy’s Gor Herd, Ghorgon and two units of Minotaurs dominating the centre, facing off against Araloth and his Eternal Guard, the Wild Riders and the imposing Durthu.

We rolled off to see who would go first, and the Wood Elves won, so I wasted no time advancing almost everything in my army. Only the two units of Glade Guard didn’t join the general advance, instead positioning themselves to loose their bows at distant targets. I had taken the Lore of Dark Magic for Aerlyn, my Spellweaver, and I made the most out of a poor roll for the Winds of Magic by using Power of Darkness to generate more Power Dice, and then shot Felgor’s Herd with a blast of Doombolt, causing two Wounds. My Glade Guard took on two of Andy’s smaller units, and with two massive volleys I peppered one of Andy’s Tuskgor Chariots (amazingly Andy passed six armour saves!) and slaughtered five Chaos Warhounds, the rest of the pack breaking and fleeing.

Andy’s retaliation was suitably aggressive, as the Beastman horde marched forward, braying their obscene warcries. The Bray Shaman lurking at the rear drew heavily on the Winds of Magic and unleashed a salvo of spells and, while Aerlyn was able to dispel Flock of Doom, I was powerless to prevent Andy casting Wyssan’s Wildform on his large unit of Minotaurs. Worse still, he cast the Amber Spear against Durthu and caused two Wounds! Then, in what was a heart-stopping moment for me, a Minotaur Champion unleashed the Stone of Spite, which would cause all nearby Arcane items to explode, injuring the bearers. Normally I take several throughout my army, but this time I hadn’t, thank goodness. The final act of the turn was for the Cygor to take aim at my Wild Riders. Thankfully his aim was a little off, but the massive brute still turned five of the Wild Riders into a grisly red paste with his hurled boulder.

The second turn of the game saw much more violence than the first, and started out with several Wood Elf units charging into combat, as the Wardancers took on the Gor Herd, the Wild Riders charged the unit of four Minotaurs and Calaic the Treeman charged the Jabberslythe. The fights this turn were amazing, and really showed how the dynamic of the Wood Elf army has shifted to become more aggressive, with an emphasis on close combat. The Wild Riders smashed through the Minotaurs in spectacular fashion, killing them all, while the Wardancers wreaked havoc on the Gor Herd, causing them to flee before running them down, and plunging straight into the Bestigor, who sheltered the Bray Shaman and Andy’s battle standard bearer. The main event of the turn, however, was the duel between Calaic the Treeman and the Jabberslythe. The Jabberslythe managed to cause two Wounds on the Treeman, who bravely fought on despite his injuries.

The Beastmen had suffered terribly in their previous turn, but they weren’t out of the fight yet. As Felgor and his Minotaurs charged Araloth’s Eternal Guard in the centre of the battlefield, the Ghorgon slammed into Durthu and the Cygor took on the Wild Riders. The magic phase was nothing short of shocking, as Gzargath the Bray Shaman harnessed the Winds of Magic and transmuted himself into a Dragon through the Transformation of Kadon. Unsurprisingly, bolstered by a Dragon in their ranks, the Bestigor easily slaughtered the Wardancers in the combat phase. Things went better for the Wood Elves elsewhere, though, as the Wild Riders hacked the Cygor apart. The Eternal Guard made short work of the Minotaurs, as Araloth slew the Minotaur Champion and his warriors (at +1 Strength from Power of Darkness again) chopped the rest of the unit to ribbons. Only Felgor himself was unscathed and, though he killed six Wood Elves in his fury, he lost the fight and was run down by the Elves as he fled. The fight between Durthu and the Ghorgon was the main event of the whole battle as two colossal heavyweights smashed lumps out of each other. The Ghorgon won the fight, beating Durthu down to his final Wound, but the wrathful Treeman held his ground.

The third turn proved to be the end of the battle, as the Wood Elves took the fight to the last of the Beastmen characters. The Wild Riders charged into the Bestigors (and their Dragon ally), and Araloth led his Eternal Guard to Durthu’s aid. While the Wild Riders utterly smashed the Bestigor, routed them and ran them down, the Eternal Guard couldn’t do enough damage to the Ghorgon to stop it killing Durthu! Andy was jubilant at making such a valuable kill, but it was too, little too late, and in the following turn Araloth finally felled the towering monstrosity and Calaic overcame the resilient Jabberslythe with the help of the Wildwood Rangers. The battle ended with the Sisters of the Thorn and the badly wounded Calaic surrounding Morghur and his procession of Chaos Spawn, and shooting him to death.

At great cost, the waystone had been saved, and Morghur and the leaders of the Beastmen army had been destroyed.

WARPSTONE GLADE

When we set up the battlefield we found a piece of scenery with a chunk of warpstone modelled onto it. Andy suggested it could be a piece of Morrslieb fallen into the wood. We decided that any model from the Forces of Destruction within 3” of it would get a 6+ Regenerate save.

So, when Calaic Newshoot fought against the Jabberslythe it wasn’t just a clash of titanic monsters, it also had all the thematic import of a wise and venerable Treeman seeking to rid his woodland home of a chunk of raw Chaos. The battle was brilliant, and the Jabberslythe started getting the better of the Treeman at first. Adam even broke his own ‘Rules of Treewhacking’ to no avail. In the end it was the heroic charge of the Wildwood Rangers who turned the tide, as they plunged through the woods to help their Treeman ally and cut the Jabberslythe to ribbons.

THE CLASH OF TITANS

At the start of the battle, both Adam and Andy agreed that Durthu and the Ghorgon locking horns had the makings of a truly epic brawl. With that in mind, as the battle unfolded Andy ensured he got a cheap shot in early by zapping Durthu with a bolt of magical energy in the form of the Amber Spear. Even badly wounded by the Bray Shaman, Durthu held his own under the brutal attack of the Ghorgon in a fight that lasted three vicious rounds.

In the end, the might of the Ghorgon (coupled with Andy’s jammy dice rolls) proved too much for Durthu and with a mounful cry the ancient Treeman collapsed to the blood-stained floor of the Athel Loren.

MASTER OF SKULLS

Perhaps the most famous enemy of the Wood Elves is Morghur, an especially foul and vilely corrupted Beastman. Time and again he has brought the maddening power of mutation to the eaves of the great forest, and each time he has been slain by the defenders of Athel Loren. Each time he returns anew to wreak havoc.

Andy kept Morghur on a steady course to reach the waystone throughout the battle, and such is his aura of Chaos that arrows and bolts sent against him change in the air, becoming as harmless as a shower of slugs or rancid water. In the end, it fell to the Sisters of the Thorn and Calaic the Treeman to run him down, killing him with a barrage of blackbriar javelins and strangleroots.

FEAR THE WILD HUNT

Andy: That was ridiculous fun. My battle plan went out of the window when the Wood Elves began issuing charges against my units… on turn 2! I had expected to have to slog across the battlefield under a withering hail of arrows but instead I found myself on the receiving end of a devastating charge by frenzied Wardancers and Wild Riders. The Wood Elves are a terrifying and very different foe to fight against now and I will need to rethink my strategy if I am ever to take Athel Loren. Still I gave as good as I got, killing Durthu with my Ghorgon and nearly reaching the objective with Morthu, only for him to be cut down inches from the Elven waystone. My personal highlight of the game has got to be the look on Adam’s face when I managed to transform my Bray Shaman into a Horned Dragon! I also learned a valuable lesson: never let a large unit of Wild Riders charge you…

SEARCH AND DESTROY

Adam: There’s something very exciting and thematically appropriate about a battle as bloody as that one, fought beneath the shady borders of Athel Loren. The clash of armies, surrounded by thick woods, looked fantastic, and as heroes and monsters battled to the bloody end it was easy to see why the Wood Elves and Beastmen make such classic enemies. Durthu fighting the Ghorgon is an image that will stay with me for a long time.

Throughout the battle, Andy and I found ourselves constantly stopping to discuss the impact of the new Wood Elves miniatures and rules on the battle. Since playing with the new Wood Elves, I’ve come to the conclusion that they are perhaps more like their artwork than ever before. I remember seeing a Paul Dainton illustration of a massive Wood Elf ambush. Well, as my army swept forward into battle, it looked and felt just like it. Brilliant.

Inspired by the release of the Wood Elf Treeman kit, veteran army painter Chris Peach wanted to add one to his own collection. We offered to give him a model on the condition that he shared his progress with us. Here’s how Chris got along.

Chris: Working in the Studio’s painting team puts me in a fairly unusual position. I paint hundreds and hundreds of Citadel miniatures every year and get paid for it. What’s odd about that (or so my wife tells me) is that I want to paint more in my own time too. Far from putting me off, it invigorates my excitement for the hobby, and makes me want to try out new things. When we painted the Studio’s Wood Elves, I didn’t get to do one, but when the White Dwarf team heard I was excited they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

The Treeman Ancient kit enables you to build one of three distinct Treeman models: a Treeman, a Treeman Ancient and Durthu. Within the instruction guide that comes with the models, it’s made clear which bits you should use to build the type of Treeman that you want. Each has differences in things like the heads, branches and weapons, and the poses are all determined by the knee, elbow and shoulder joints. There are lots of joint fittings available, and these can change the pose quite significantly. (I mainly used Durthu’s joints, because mixing joint parts can give some very strange results.)

I wanted to combine parts from each of these three models to make something completely unique, and I had a clear idea in mind. Having read the background in the new book, I was inspired by the idea of Orion leading the Great Hunt. Since he and his Wild Riders use hunting spears, I wanted to create a Treeman who was also caught up in that frenzy, with a hunting spear of his own. To do that I needed to combine the Treeman Ancient’s staff and Durthu’s sword. To make the pose look right, I needed to alter what the Treeman’s left hand was doing too. I wanted it to mirror the style of some of the Eternal Guard, so the Treeman is pushing down on the haft of his weapon like he’s about to use some kind of martial arts attack.

For the face, I combined the Treeman Ancient’s crown and beard with the Treeman’s face. There was no special technique to this, I just used a Citadel Knife and Fine Detail Cutters to snip and slice the bits off the components and found places for them that looked good.

1 (Above) - To make the legs for my Treeman, I used the components that the instruction booklet recommends for Durthu.

2 - I used the Treeman’s face and added the ‘antennae’ branches and beard from the Treeman Ancient…

3 - …which ended up looking like this.

4 - I attached the head to the torso (which is the Treeman Ancient’s torso). I also attached the beard from the Ancient, but as a pony tail instead.

5 - For the spear, I sliced off the blade from Durthu’s sword and the fronds from the Ancient’s staff.

6 - It was then simply a matter of gluing them together. Make sure you let them set properly.

7 - This is the converted model. Don’t glue the left arm on until after painting it, though.

When it came to painting the model, I wanted the Treeman to look really magical. The background of these mighty creatures imbued by forest spirits is very cool. I also wanted to make the bark look silvery, a bit like a birch tree. So I combined the two ideas, going for a blue-green inner glow.

To get this effect, I started from a basecoat of Caliban Green Spray. The spray can makes this nice and quick, and it’s a good base colour for what follows. I’ve discovered (as have a lot of people) that Nihilakh Oxide can provide a great eerie blue colour, so my plan was to use that as a shade colour in the recesses, and then drybrush the sorts of whites and greys you see on a silver birch tree over the rest of the model.

Drybrushing and washing can give you some excellent overall effects, and is very quick. It’s really important to leave sufficient drying time between stages, though, because drybrushing over a still damp area of Citadel Shade will cause a smudgy mess. AT

1 - To give my model a smooth starting point, I basecoated it using Caliban Green Spray.

2 - With the spray completely dry, I loaded a Large Drybrush with Deathworld Green and wiped some off onto a piece of paper towel to ‘wet brush’ the whole model.

3 - Next, I painted Nihilakh Oxide into the recesses, especially the swirls in the bark.

4 - Once the Nihilakh Oxide had completely dried, I gave the model a drybrush of Karak Stone. It’s not a problem if you paint over the Nihilakh Oxide a bit (you can tidy it up later).

5 - Next, I drybrushed the whole model with a heavy drybrush of Longbeard Grey – especially on the leaves and skulls.

6 - I washed Athonian Camoshade onto the bark, applying it neatly with a Standard Brush because I didn’t want it going over the Nihilakh Oxide. In certain areas I let it pool a little to give a stronger colour. Note that I also shaded the lower portions of the branches coming out of the Treeman’s head, too.

7 - With the previous wash completely dry, I applied some highlights of Pallid Wych Flesh to the very edges of the bark and branches.

8 - Next, I glazed all the leaves hanging from the Treeman’s waist, the saplings and the pony tail with Waywatcher Green. Once it was dry, I picked out a few of the leaves and glazed them with Lamenters Yellow.

9 - To finish the leaves and hair on the model I gave them a final highlight of Screaming Skull.

10 - The spear’s blade was painted with a basecoat of Leadbelcher.

11 - I added more detail to the spear by painting more Nihilakh Oxide into the recesses on the haft and blade.

12 - Finally, I completed the model with a highlight of Runefang Steel on the spear tip and a wash of Reikland Fleshshade on the skulls that hang from the Treeman’s waist.

Paint Splatter provides handy tips and stage-by-stage painting guides for the week’s key releases. This week, we take a look at the new Wild Riders, the elite cavalry of Athel Loren.

This unit of Wild Riders was painted by Studio painter Chris Peach, who got very close to using all the greens in the Citadel Paint range. Here’s what he had to say about painting the new models:

Chris Peach: When painting cavalry models, it’s normally easier to leave the rider separate as they will often have a different texture and colour scheme to the mounts they are riding. In this case, I pinned the Wild Rider to a cork and undercoated both him and his stag with Chaos Black Spray. I then basecoated the rider with Zandri Dust using the Citadel Spray Gun (though a Large Drybrush would work just as well). This layer isn’t essential, but it definitely makes it easier to apply the other colours, such as the skin and the cloak.

The Wild Riders’ steeds have a mottled pattern on their hind quarters. “Horses and stags are often dappled,” says Chris, “and I wanted to do something similar on the Wild Riders. Keeping with the green theme, I applied patches of Elysian Green to the flanks and back legs of the steeds before highlighting them with Ogryn Camo.” Chris also used Lamenters Yellow on the stag’s mane and the rider’s cape. “It visually ties the rider and mount together,” says Chris, “and brings a vibrant, summery feel to them, representing the Wild Riders at the height of their power.” DH

THE WILD HUNT

The Wild Riders in the army of Talsyn are painted using the same colours as Orion, the King in the Woods. “They are his personal guard after all,” says Steve Bowerman, “so it seemed only right to paint them using the same colour palette.”

With the mighty new Treeman miniature now in stores, Adam Troke (with a little help from Jes Bickham and Alan Merrett) has conjured up a new minigame. Can you defend the borders of Athel Loren from the depredations of its enemies?

The Defence of Athel Loren is a simple minigame that uses a Treeman and five Warhammer warriors who seek to despoil the home of the Wood Elves. There are two players in this game, the Defender and the Despoiler. The object of the game is for the Defender to use his Treeman to kill the Despoiler’s minions before they can reach the Sacred Glade of Athel Loren.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED

1 - A Treeman (any Treeman will do, but we like using Durthu).

2 - A selection of minions. (We used Daemons of Chaos, but Beastmen, Orcs, Ogres or other Warhammer models would do just fine.)

3 - A handful of dice.

4 - A gaming area which is ten spaces long by five spaces wide. You can mark this out on a sheet of paper, with post-it notes, or anything else that suits you. We’ll be calling these spaces ‘squares’ from this point onwards. For our games we made each square about 4” by 4”.

SETTING UP

The Despoiler lines up his minions along one of the short edges of the playing area – this is the Border of The Forest. The Defender player then places his Treeman in any space on the opposite edge – this is the Sacred Glade.

WINNING THE GAME

If any of the Despoiler’s minions move into the Sacred Glade, the desecration of Athel Loren has begun, and the Despoiler is immediately victorious. If the Treeman can kill all the minions before this takes place, the Defender has saved Athel Loren and is the winner instead.

HOW THE GAME WORKS

Each turn the Despoiler goes first, followed by the Defender.

1 - First the Despoiler moves his minions. If any of the minions reach the Sacred Glade, the Despoiler is victorious.

2 - The Defender has four action dice to spend for his Treeman, allowing him to move, shoot strangleroots and fight in close combat. If all of the minions are slain, the Defender is victorious.

3 - If neither side has won the game, play another turn.

MOVING THE MINIONS

Each minion can move up to 3 squares directly towards the Sacred Glade each turn. To do this, the Despoiler rolls a dice and consults the following chart:

Dice score - Distance moved

1 or 2 = 1 square

3 or 4 = 2 squares

5 or 6 = 3 squares

If any minion moves into a square containing the Treeman, stop his movement immediately. You may still move any other minions that haven’t moved yet.

THE TREEMAN’S ACTION DICE

Each turn the Defender gets four action dice. These enable the Treeman to do three things: Move, Fight or use Strangleroots (a shooting attack). You can do any of those three things in any order you wish. You could move, fight and move. You could move, move and fight. You could shoot strangleroots, move and fight, or any other combination you wish (with one caveat – you can only ever roll a single Action Dice for strangleroots). Here’s how they each work.

MOVE

To Move, the Defender takes one (or more) action dice and rolls it. This is how far the Treeman may move. He can move forwards, backwards or side to side, but never diagonally. A Treeman cannot choose to move if he is in a square with a minion. Instead he must fight.

FIGHT

To fight, the Defender must have moved into the same square as a minion, or a minion must have moved into the same square as the Treeman. The Treeman takes one or more dice and rolls them (if he wishes to roll multiple dice, add the scores together. So two dice would give a number between 2 and 12, three dice would be between 3 and 18 and so on). The Despoiler then rolls a single dice for his minion. If the Treeman’s score is higher, he is victorious and the minion is slain. If the scores are equal or the minion’s score is higher, the Treeman is repulsed, and the Despoiler may immediately move the Treeman into any adjacent square. Finally, if a minion ever scores a 6 he automatically repulses the Treeman.

STRANGLEROOTS

Strangleroots is a shooting attack that enables to the Treeman to hit any minion on the board in an effort to halt their advance. The Defender picks a single minion as his target, then rolls one Action Dice. The Despoiler also rolls a dice.

If the Despoiler rolls equal to or higher than the Defender, the strangleroots attack is avoided and nothing happens. If the Defender rolls higher than the Despoiler, the minion is caught in the strangleroots and blocked. Lay the minion down on his side; blocked models may not move. On his next turn, the minion can stand up and is no longer blocked if the Despoiler rolls a 6 on one dice. If he fails to stand up, he remains blocked. On the turn after that he will stand up on a dice roll of a 5 or a 6. If he is still blocked, then on the following turn he stands up on 4, 5 or 6; this pattern continues until he needs a 1 to stand up, in which case he automatically stands up. A minion may not move in the same turn that he stands up.

If the Treeman moves onto the same square as a blocked model, then both models fight as normal, except the blocked model may not repulse the Treeman on a roll of a 6.

THE PLAYING AREA

You can make your own playing area – see point four in ‘You Will Need’ – but we’ve produced PDFs that you can download and print out. Head to blacklibrary.com/white-dwarf/downloads to find a PDF download of the board seen in the pic to the left.

PLAYING A BIGGER GAME

After a few games we decided it would be fun to play bigger games. Simply make the gaming area five spaces wider and add a Treeman (the Defender places him in any Sacred Glade Squad) and five more minions (the Despoiler places them in the new Forest Border squares).

This week heralds the release of several reinforcements for the Wood Elves, the Sisters of the Thorn and Wildwood Rangers among them. Here we present rules for you to use them in your games of Warhammer, along with some tactical advice.

WILDWOOD RANGERS

Special unit, 11 points per model

UNIT SIZE: 10+

TROOP TYPE: Infantry.

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First, Forest Stalker, Immune to Psychology

Guardians of the Wildwood: If a model with this special rule is in base contact with at least one enemy model with either the Fear or Terror special rule, it has +1 Attack.

EQUIPMENT: Great weapon and light armour.

OPTIONS:

May upgrade one Wildwood Ranger to a Wildwood Warden - 10 points

May upgrade one Wildwood Ranger to a musician - 10 points

May upgrade one Wildwood Ranger to a standard bearer - 10 points

May take a magic standard worth up to - 25 points

Dan: Wildwood Rangers are the perfect foil for monsters. Being Immune to Psychology, they’re not going to suffer from Fear or Terror and they gain an extra Attack when in base contact with enemies that cause them. While they have great weapons (Always Strikes Last), they are Elves so they also have Always Strikes First, which cancel each other out. Fighting at their normal Initiative, they should hit most monsters before they get to attack. The unit also has the opportunity to take a magic standard, and I’d be inclined to take the Banner of Eternal Flame. Some monsters (Hydras, Hell Pit Abominations, Trolls) have Regenerate, which is negated by the banner’s Flaming Attacks. Wildwood Rangers are also very handy against Undead units, especially if they’ve got a flammable, Fear-causing, low Initiative Tomb King in the front rank. DH

SISITERS OF THE THORN

Special unit, 26 points per model

UNIT SIZE: 5+

TROOP TYPE: Cavalry.

SPECIAL RULES: Always Strikes First (riders only), Fast Cavalry, Forest Stalker, Poisoned Attacks (riders only)

Deepwood Coven: A unit of Sisters of the Thorn is considered to be a Level 2 Wizard that knows the spells Shield of Thorns (Lore of Life) and Curse of Anraheir (Lore of Beasts). This doesn’t prevent other friendly Wizards from knowing the same spells. The unit receives an additional +1 to cast for each rank of 5 or more models it has, after the first, to a maximum of +3. Each time the unit casts a spell (or is targeted by a special rule that affects a Wizard), you must nominate one Sister or Handmaiden of the Thorn as the caster (or target) for the purposes of line of sight, range, etc. In the event of a Sisters of the Thorn unit rolling a miscast, do not roll on the Miscast table. Instead, the unit suffers D3 Wounds with no saves of any kind allowed.

Daughters of Eternity: A model with this special rule has a 4+ Ward save.

EQUIPMENT: Hand weapon and Blackbriar javelin.

Blackbriar javelin: Crafted from the boughs of bitter and malevolent trees, these javelins are lethal to all blooded life.

Range - 12”

Strength - User

Special Rules - Armour Piercing, Poisoned Attacks

OPTIONS:

May upgrade one Sister of the Thorn to a Handmaiden of the Thorn - 10 points

May upgrade one Sister of the Thorn to a musician - 10 points

May upgrade one Sister of the Thorn to a standard bearer - 10 points

May take a magic standard worth up to - 50 points

Adam: The Sisters of the Thorn are a subtle unit – use them as a support for your warriors. In your Magic phase, attempt to use Shield of Thorns to cause damage to an enemy unit that is (or likely to be soon) in base contact with one of your units, and Curse of Anraheir to reduce their effectiveness. The curse also makes Dangerous Terrain tests much more difficult, so it’s worth casting on enemy units that are more set to charge Wood Elves actually in woods (or similar terrain that will cause a Dangerous Terrain test). In this capacity, use them to take some of the load off of your other Wizards. Most importantly, use Sisters of the Thorn to nibble at the enemy from safety, don’t expose them to serious risks. Throwing javelins are handy: they are poisoned, so they can pick on really tough foes with a good chance of causing damage. AT

The artisans of Athel Loren have truly been busy, for this week the Sisters of the Thorn and the Wildwood Rangers join the Wood Elf war host. Donning his cape and tights, Dan set off into the woods to hunt down the sculptors and find out more about their latest creations.

Neil Langdown: Something I was keen to do with the Wood Elves was to bring them visually closer to the High and Dark Elves while keeping their unique look. Where the Glade Guard and Glade Riders are the rustic militia of the Wood Elves, the Eternal Guard are the standing army of Athel Loren and the guardians of the Wood Elf cities. It seemed only right that these prestigious warriors would wear more elaborate, more traditionally Elven armour and clothing than their kin.

Like the spear-armed Elves of Ulthuan and Naggaroth, the Eternal Guard wear light armour and carry shields, but they have their own distinctive look. Dark Elves wear chainmail and have a lot of angles to their armour, while High Elves wear square-edged scale-mail and have smooth curves. The Eternal Guard also wear scale-mail, but it’s made up of triangular plates, like the blade of a leaf. Their open helms and kite shields are also leaf-shaped, emphasising the influence that nature has had on the design of their clothes and armour. Unlike their spear-armed kin, however, the Eternal Guard are marching forward into battle. In their background, they are active, not reactive, warriors and I wanted to reflect this in the miniatures.

As I was working on them I started drawing sketches for their weapons. While most of my designs were swords and spears, one of my illustrations was a glaive, originally planned for a unit champion. I liked the look and developed it into the weapons carried by the Wildwood Rangers. Unlike their contemporaries – High Elf Swordmasters and Dark Elf Executioners – the Wildwood Rangers are practical, austere warriors. Instead of showy helms and skull masks they wear simple hoods. Combined with their huge glaives, they give off quite a sinister vibe, like some kind of nightmare woodsman come to chop you up. Which, of course, they are.

Seb Perbet: I like that we kept an equal ratio of males to females in the unit. Of all the Elves, the Wood Elves respect the equality of male and female the most. Their Pantheonic Mandala has two gods in the centre – Kurnous the Hunter and Isha the Mother – balancing each other out. It seems only fitting that their main fighting units maintain that harmony. It isn’t until you get to specialised units like the Sisters of the Thorn and the Wild Riders that they become segregated.

Aragon Marks: Stags are revered by the Wood Elves as mystical beings, so it’s only fitting that the representatives of the king and queen of the forest should ride them. The Wild Riders mimic the look of Orion, with bare chests and bulging muscles, leafy capes and antlers on their helmets. They don’t have saddles, their relationship with their mounts such that they can ride standing on footplates. They don’t have reins either, their mounts knowing where to go with just a tap of the rider’s foot.

Seb: Elves have an incredible sense of balance. If they can stand on a Warhawk they can definitely ride a stag.

Aragorn: The Sisters of the Thorn were inspired, in part, by the old illustration of Ariel by Mark Gibbons. The crests on their helms are like her butterfly antennae, while the javelins on their backs represent her wings. Just like Ariel, they carry a staff crowned with a jagged crystal and they are potent magic users, as shown by the magical flames surrounding their hands. DH

“Both the Eternal Guard and the Wildwood Rangers are marked with stylised infinity symbols,” says Seb. “It’s most noticeable on the shields of the Eternal Guard, but both units use the symbol as their banner top and you can see it engraved into their weapons. It represents their ceaseless duties. While the Eternal Guard protect their liege lord and their cities, the Rangers are ever vigilant for dark spirits trying to escape the Wildwood.”

Join us for a round-up of the week as we share comment, opinion and trivia on the all latest releases, plus other fun tidbits that have cropped up in the White Dwarf bunker. Elves are very much the theme of the week.

ILLUSTRATOR PAUL DAINTON SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON PAINTING ELVES

High, Dark or Wood, whatever the Elf, Paul Dainton has painted them. Dan caught up with him to find out more about his work.

Paul Dainton: Over the years, our Elves have evolved from being fey, wispy creatures into powerful, arrogant warriors and sorcerers. Having painted the previous Wood Elf army book cover, I found the Elves on it a bit too ‘faery’, if that makes sense, too fragile and effete. Elves are proud and arrogant, better than every other race. Scarier still, they know they’re better than everyone else, which makes them even more dangerous. The cover art for each book has to encapsulate that feel, but tailored to each type of Elf. Where the High Elf is haughty and grand, the Dark Elf has a murderous red hue and his teeth bared. I wanted the Wood Elf to feel more feral. Imagine you’ve wandered into the woods; an Elf skipping through the trees wouldn’t seem threatening at all. This spiteful character, on the other hand, means business. He’s got a predatory grin, an eerie glowing sword and he’s surrounded by screaming skulls. He’s an Elf, and a dangerous one at that.

“Where the High Elf hero stands tall and proud,” says Paul, “the Dark Elf Dreadlord is hunched forward, his hand reaching out in a classic bad guy pose. The Wood Elf hero is a combination of the two. He has the noble aspect of the High Elf, with his billowing cape and shield emblazoned with heraldry, but his helm more closely resembles that of the Dark Elf, with the tall plume of hair and the blades replaced with antlers. They all show Elves at war, but each with their own look and style.”

Last week Adam wrote a Paint Splatter article about basing models, and many of the ideas in that feature came from Chris Peach. “Getting your bases right is the key to completing your model,” he explains. “With the Treeman I painted in my project log article (see page 16) I used a simple technique for the base. First, I glued on a couple of skulls from a Citadel Basing Kit, and then applied lots of Lustrian Undergrowth Texture Paint. Once that dried, I washed the Lustrian Undergrowth generously with Agrax Earthshade before drybrushing it with Tyrant Skull. I then glued on a couple of grass tufts for good measure.”

During their battle report this week, both Adam and Andy were amazed by the apparently unstoppable power of the Wild Riders. “When they smashed through the unit of Minotaurs in a single, spectacularly violent charge I realised I had underestimated them,” Adam confessed.

“The thing that occurred to us as we were playing is that they were a real ‘glass hammer’ unit,” Andy added. “Essentially, in the situations where they were able to charge into battle unimpeded they were all but unstoppable, but if I was able to direct some attacks back at them, such as in the fight against the Bestigor, they took casualties quickly enough.

“I’m going to be getting some for my own Wood Elf army as soon as I can,” Andy added. “I’ll just have to watch out for incoming missile fire and magical attacks on the way into battle.”

Having fought his first battle report this week, Andy was desperate to play more games in the bunker. His first suggestion: an Imperial Knight smackdown.

Using the rules for random turn order from Triumph & Treachery, the six Imperial Knights were set up around the board. Madrigal (Jes) and Crucible of Wrath (Adam) ran at each other, firing wildly before chainsawing each other apart, Adam’s Knight exploding and taking Jes’s with it. Klorian Saiche (Dan) came under fire from both Desolation of Solitude (Andy) and Sir Ranalf (Matt) before taking on Matt’s Knight in combat. Ranalf tore apart Saiche, but was consumed by the blast. Meanwhile, Sir Kenrick (which Ben borrowed from Matt) took on Andy’s Knight, the two blasting holes out of each other before mutually assured destruction occurred in close combat. We’re still debating whether anyone actually won…

Notes from the worlds of Warhammer. This week: Elite Wood Elves.

WARDANCERS

Disciples of the Elven God Loec, the Wardancers are a strange sect within the realm of Athel Loren: Wood Elves who travel the paths and glades as troupes and recreate the history of the woods through flamboyant performances. Each Wardancer is also an incredibly well-trained warrior, capable of astounding acrobatic feats. In battle they fight as a loose formation, leaping and twirling through the enemy ranks, severing limbs and impaling chests with every graceful movement.

WAYWATCHERS

Many an incursion into Athel Loren has been stopped before it ever truly began by the silent ministrations of the Wood Elves known as Waywatchers. Elite marksmen who have perfected the art of moving unheard and unseen, the Waywatchers lurk in the shadows, felling the enemies of the Wood Elves with pinpoint accuracy. Many are the Beastmen who have died with an arrow in his heart, or the rampaging beast stopped in its tracks by a shot through the eye.

WARHAWK RIDERS

Within the aeries of the Grey Mountains there dwell giant birds of prey, large and strong enough to carry an Elf into battle. These mighty creatures are Warhawks, and they are often raised by Elves, who form a strong bond with their winged allies. Together they are capable of hunting deadly prey, plummeting from the skies to crush the skull of an Orc with a savage peck of a beak, or tearing a knight from his saddle to dash him on the rocks below. As well as making fearsome warriors, this pairing also provides the Wood Elves with swift scouts and messengers.

The Space Marine Devastator Squad comes with several Servo Skulls on its frames. These nifty little extras make brilliant details for character models, especially Space Marine Captains, Inquisitors and other discerning individuals.

This week there has been considerable debate as to whether adaptations acquired by Hive Fleet Leviathan are passed on by the inimicable Hive Mind, and also known by Kraken and Behemoth. Jes and Dan are convinced it is the case, while Adam denies it… and is looking for evidence to that effect. All three have spent some time rummaging through Codex: Tyranids for the truth.

What could be more dangerous than a massive, metal, warpstone-driven steam roller? A massive, metal warpstone-driven steam roller covered in blades, that’s what. While the Skaven are rarely subtle about their weaponry, this portable enemy-blender certainly wins the ‘most painfully obvious death-dealer’ award.

The White Dwarf team is a font of hobby knowledge, a metaphorical repository of useful facts. If you have a question about Warhammer 40,000 or Warhammer, need a bit of painting advice or you’re after a few tactical tips, drop us a line: team@whitedwarf.co.uk

QUESTION

Following the War of Vengeance, have any Elgi ever succeeded in regaining their honour to become a Dawongr?
- Trainee Runescribe Maxime Evain

GROMBRINDAL SAYS

Of course, thousands of them…

I am, of course, talking about the dead ones, because no living Elf will ever make up for the deceit and treachery of their people. They will never be Dwarf friends! It may be, on occasion, that we’ll let them fight alongside us, but they never pull their weight. Consider the war against Chaos. We sent some of our best troops, weapons and armour. What did the Elves send? A horse. It was nice, as horses go. But still, just a horse. Or when we went to rescue the future Everqueen, Aliathra, because they were too lazy to do it themselves. We killed thousands of Undead that day, then they swan up and take the glory! Never trust an Elgi. My blood is up, I need a Bugman’s…

- Grombrindal

Our Reader’s Model this week is a diorama built and painted by Tony Hamill, which features a pair of Nordland Archers and an unlucky Orc warrior. While the young Archer points fearfully at their quarry, the more experienced Huntsman puts an arrow through the Orc, which has been converted from the Animosity Orcs set.

If you’ve painted a miniature that you think is worthy of a place in White Dwarf then why not send a picture to:

team@whitedwarf.co.uk

If it’s something we can use, we’ll be sure to get in touch.

Andy’s latest creation is this Imperial Knight, the Desolation of Solitude. Andy, also known as the Turquoise King for using the colour on every one of his models in the last five years, painted his Knight in a quartered turquoise and bone colour scheme. “He’s a Freeblade Knight, originally from House Hawkshroud,” says Andy, marching his Knight across the desk to tackle a particularly dangerous-looking stapler. “He repainted his armour, but kept his heraldry before marching off on his own crusade looking for honour and glory. I plan to use him alongside my Dark Angels and I’ll be painting on battle honours when he makes impressive kills.”

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