Post by Kaffl on Sept 28, 2008 21:42:49 GMT -5
A good friend of mine is starting a campaign shortly, and I'm bringing Wood Elves into the mix. The idea behind the campaign is brilliant - each player establishes a bit of fluff for their army to begin with. Then, the player may create an army-wide special rule, and can create either one Lord choice special Character or two Hero-choice characters that are equipped with their own unique magical weapons and items, and that have their own special rules. We meet as a comittee before the campaign begins and go over each persons special rules and characters and decide if they are a little too over-the-top or weak, and try to get everyone on a level playing field. So, without further ado, I present to you my idea.
Army: Wood Elves
Army Name: Coven of the Shadowchild
General: Theyus Shadowchild
Army Special Rule: May take one more unit of scouts than normally allowed. No Forest Spirits other than Spites may be taken. No Wardancers, Warhawk Riders, or Eternal Guard may be taken. All characters, other than Spellsingers, must be given either the Scout or Waywatcher Kindred upgrades.
New Unit: Spites (1+) Pts/Model: 8
....... M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Spite 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 8
Faerie 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 2 8
Unit Size: 5-20
Options: Upgrade 1 Spite to a Faerie for +10 points. The Faerie may choose 1 Spite from Army Books: Wood Elves worth 25 points.
Special Rules: Skirmish, Forest Spirits, Cloud of Spites
Cloud of Spites: Spites are small and mischievous. They get in your hair, they nest in your attic, and on the field of battle, they obscure line of sight. Though this usually results in a headache for the Coven who find it difficult to fire through the masses of Spites that make their way onto the battlefield, it can sometimes be a boon as well.
Spites do not block line of sight like normal Skirmishers do. However, they do make it difficult to shoot targets through them. Although they do not block Line of Sight, all shooting that passes through a unit of spites is at -1 to hit the target that was intended. In addition, on a roll of a 1 to hit, resolve the hit against the Spites, with wounds allocated normally. One accidentally got in the way! Note that this unit does not apply if the shooting was targetted at the spites themselves, though other intervening spites will still get in the way.
Lord Choice: Theyus Shadowchild 300 Points
.......... M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Theyus 5 5 7 4 3 3 6 4 9
Wargear: Arrows of Thorn, Bow of Splinters (Longbow), Shadowhood
Special Rules: The Shadowchild, "The Forests Elude You", Forest Stalkers, Lethal Shot
Shadowhood: The Shadowhood is the traditional symbol of office for the Shadowchild of the Coven. The Hood is a physical manifestation of the martial virtues that every Shadowchild is believed to possess - an unwavering nerve, and unerring accuracy, and an undetectable footfall. The Shadowhood creates a physical 'blur' around the wearer that distorts reality and causes even the most sure-struck attacks to miss their mark.
The Shadowhood grants a 3+ Ward Save against non-magical attacks.
Arrows of Thorn: The arrows of thorn are a specially crafted and particularly cruel brand of magical missiles. Their secrests known only to the Coven of the Shadowchild, they are impregnated with magical energy and cause roots and thorn to spring from the target they strike and lash out at nearby enemies, causing greivous wounds and tripping up opponents.
When the Arrows of Thorn are fired at an enemy unit, they are struck with the same effect as the Fury of the Forest spell. This means they will take d6 strength 4 hits, which are increased to strength 5 if the enemy is within 6" of a forest. In addition, if the unit suffers any casualties they must immediately take a strength test to see if they can break from the roots. If the test is failed, their movement value is reduced by half the following turn, though they can still march or charge as normal (they just won't move as quickly).
Bow of Splinters: The Bow of Splinters is an artifact that has been in the Coven of the Shadowchild for six generations, since it was looted from a Beastmen warcamp by Artemis Shadowchild. Its origins before it was claimed by the Coven are unkown, though its power is not. Any time an arrow is loosed from this bow, arcane replicas are produced and fly with the original, as though loosed by a whole contingent of archers.
Theyus may choose to unleash the power of the Bow of Splinters in any of his own shooting phases. If the Bow of Splinters is used, Theyus may fire 6 arrows instead of just one. There is no multiple shots penalty for these. The Arrows of Thorn may not be fired in this way, although the Lethal Shot rule will apply to any shots fired by this bow.
The Shadowchild: Theyus comes from a coven of Wood Elves that value stealth and accuracy over any other traits. Theyus Shadowchild may only join units of Waywatchers, and if Waywatchers are present at the beginning of the battle, he must join a unit of them and may not leave that unit.
"The Forests Elude You": Once per turn, Theyus Shadowchild may cast the movement aspect of Tree Singing on any forest he is within. The spell is cast on a bound power level d6, and may be dispelled as normal. He does not need to roll a 3 or better for the spell to be cast, as he is casting a bound spell. He also does not count as a wizard, and will not generate any power or dispel dice.
Deep in the forest of Athel Loren lies an unseen force. A primitive and barbaric band of Elves, filled with a primal sense of pride and duty, protect Athel Loren in times even other Wood Elves would falter and give way. A small grouping of Elves under the title of "The Coven of the Shadowchild" have defended Athel Loren's borders for twenty generations, each generation following a rigid code of discipline and honor set down by the generation previous. This clandestine order values the virtues of stealth and accuracy with a bow, combined with an unwavering nerve over all others, and those who cannot, do not, or will not fight with a bow in their hand find themselves as servants and lackeys instead of the fighting soldiers many aspire to be.
When they are drawn to battle, the warriors of the Coven often attract the minor Forest Spirits of Athel Loren through their sheer primal sense of protection for the forest. They are not known to attract any of the major Forest Spirits, such as Dryads, Treekin or Treemen, but these spites will appear on a whim, often fluttering across the battlefield and engaging the nearest enemies to them, flitting about dodging swords, axes and hammers, disrupting enemy soldiers and taking their mind off of the Elves waiting in the forests, ready to strike.
In terms of formation, the Coven has a disproportionate amount of Glade Guard Scouts as compared to other Wood Elf forces. Their forces will usually include many of these small groups of Elves who are working their way towards becoming Waywatchers, which are the most honoured warriors amongst the Coven. It is rare to find any warrior among the Coven who is willing to let himself fight in a close combat situation, though all are especially well-skilled in the use of longbows.
The current Shadowchild (the honourary title of the leader of the Coven) is an elf simply known as Theyus. Those born into the Coven are never given a last name, as names are given based on the current position of any member of the Coven. These are not specific to the warriors of the Coven, but the most honourable titles are reserved for the most accurate and unswervingly loyal of the warriors of the Coven. All of the Shadowchildren are granted the weapons of the Shadowchild before them, and it is a rare instance indeed that those weapons are replaced by any other, as they are not only tools of war, but also symbols of office. No Shadowchild has ever led the Coven without the Shadowhood!
Theyus Shadowchild has an inborn affinity for the forest around him. Though he does not possess the gift of magic, he is still able to speak to the trees around him, to communicate and even to lay out battle-plans with them! If he is staging a defence, he will often spend hours before a battle speaking with the trees, taking their counsel and laying out a corse of action which they will rigidly follow. In the heat of an attack, he is known to bark out orders that seem directed to no one in particular, and the trees will move to allow him to take a previously unavailable shot or to cut off an enemy's escape route. During one battle in particular his well-coordinated defence of Athel Loren would frustrate his loathesome Asur foes to no end, every time the charged the forest his warriors were hidden in the trees would split away and the High Elves would find themselves standing exposed in a clearing, arrows hailing down all around them, while Theyus shouted "The forests elude you!".
I ran the idea of Spites by him already - he decided it was totally cool since they aren't really that game-breaking, and they add a lot to the character of the army. Is it a cool idea? What do y'all think?
Army: Wood Elves
Army Name: Coven of the Shadowchild
General: Theyus Shadowchild
Army Special Rule: May take one more unit of scouts than normally allowed. No Forest Spirits other than Spites may be taken. No Wardancers, Warhawk Riders, or Eternal Guard may be taken. All characters, other than Spellsingers, must be given either the Scout or Waywatcher Kindred upgrades.
New Unit: Spites (1+) Pts/Model: 8
....... M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Spite 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 8
Faerie 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 2 8
Unit Size: 5-20
Options: Upgrade 1 Spite to a Faerie for +10 points. The Faerie may choose 1 Spite from Army Books: Wood Elves worth 25 points.
Special Rules: Skirmish, Forest Spirits, Cloud of Spites
Cloud of Spites: Spites are small and mischievous. They get in your hair, they nest in your attic, and on the field of battle, they obscure line of sight. Though this usually results in a headache for the Coven who find it difficult to fire through the masses of Spites that make their way onto the battlefield, it can sometimes be a boon as well.
Spites do not block line of sight like normal Skirmishers do. However, they do make it difficult to shoot targets through them. Although they do not block Line of Sight, all shooting that passes through a unit of spites is at -1 to hit the target that was intended. In addition, on a roll of a 1 to hit, resolve the hit against the Spites, with wounds allocated normally. One accidentally got in the way! Note that this unit does not apply if the shooting was targetted at the spites themselves, though other intervening spites will still get in the way.
Lord Choice: Theyus Shadowchild 300 Points
.......... M WS BS S T W I A Ld
Theyus 5 5 7 4 3 3 6 4 9
Wargear: Arrows of Thorn, Bow of Splinters (Longbow), Shadowhood
Special Rules: The Shadowchild, "The Forests Elude You", Forest Stalkers, Lethal Shot
Shadowhood: The Shadowhood is the traditional symbol of office for the Shadowchild of the Coven. The Hood is a physical manifestation of the martial virtues that every Shadowchild is believed to possess - an unwavering nerve, and unerring accuracy, and an undetectable footfall. The Shadowhood creates a physical 'blur' around the wearer that distorts reality and causes even the most sure-struck attacks to miss their mark.
The Shadowhood grants a 3+ Ward Save against non-magical attacks.
Arrows of Thorn: The arrows of thorn are a specially crafted and particularly cruel brand of magical missiles. Their secrests known only to the Coven of the Shadowchild, they are impregnated with magical energy and cause roots and thorn to spring from the target they strike and lash out at nearby enemies, causing greivous wounds and tripping up opponents.
When the Arrows of Thorn are fired at an enemy unit, they are struck with the same effect as the Fury of the Forest spell. This means they will take d6 strength 4 hits, which are increased to strength 5 if the enemy is within 6" of a forest. In addition, if the unit suffers any casualties they must immediately take a strength test to see if they can break from the roots. If the test is failed, their movement value is reduced by half the following turn, though they can still march or charge as normal (they just won't move as quickly).
Bow of Splinters: The Bow of Splinters is an artifact that has been in the Coven of the Shadowchild for six generations, since it was looted from a Beastmen warcamp by Artemis Shadowchild. Its origins before it was claimed by the Coven are unkown, though its power is not. Any time an arrow is loosed from this bow, arcane replicas are produced and fly with the original, as though loosed by a whole contingent of archers.
Theyus may choose to unleash the power of the Bow of Splinters in any of his own shooting phases. If the Bow of Splinters is used, Theyus may fire 6 arrows instead of just one. There is no multiple shots penalty for these. The Arrows of Thorn may not be fired in this way, although the Lethal Shot rule will apply to any shots fired by this bow.
The Shadowchild: Theyus comes from a coven of Wood Elves that value stealth and accuracy over any other traits. Theyus Shadowchild may only join units of Waywatchers, and if Waywatchers are present at the beginning of the battle, he must join a unit of them and may not leave that unit.
"The Forests Elude You": Once per turn, Theyus Shadowchild may cast the movement aspect of Tree Singing on any forest he is within. The spell is cast on a bound power level d6, and may be dispelled as normal. He does not need to roll a 3 or better for the spell to be cast, as he is casting a bound spell. He also does not count as a wizard, and will not generate any power or dispel dice.
Deep in the forest of Athel Loren lies an unseen force. A primitive and barbaric band of Elves, filled with a primal sense of pride and duty, protect Athel Loren in times even other Wood Elves would falter and give way. A small grouping of Elves under the title of "The Coven of the Shadowchild" have defended Athel Loren's borders for twenty generations, each generation following a rigid code of discipline and honor set down by the generation previous. This clandestine order values the virtues of stealth and accuracy with a bow, combined with an unwavering nerve over all others, and those who cannot, do not, or will not fight with a bow in their hand find themselves as servants and lackeys instead of the fighting soldiers many aspire to be.
When they are drawn to battle, the warriors of the Coven often attract the minor Forest Spirits of Athel Loren through their sheer primal sense of protection for the forest. They are not known to attract any of the major Forest Spirits, such as Dryads, Treekin or Treemen, but these spites will appear on a whim, often fluttering across the battlefield and engaging the nearest enemies to them, flitting about dodging swords, axes and hammers, disrupting enemy soldiers and taking their mind off of the Elves waiting in the forests, ready to strike.
In terms of formation, the Coven has a disproportionate amount of Glade Guard Scouts as compared to other Wood Elf forces. Their forces will usually include many of these small groups of Elves who are working their way towards becoming Waywatchers, which are the most honoured warriors amongst the Coven. It is rare to find any warrior among the Coven who is willing to let himself fight in a close combat situation, though all are especially well-skilled in the use of longbows.
The current Shadowchild (the honourary title of the leader of the Coven) is an elf simply known as Theyus. Those born into the Coven are never given a last name, as names are given based on the current position of any member of the Coven. These are not specific to the warriors of the Coven, but the most honourable titles are reserved for the most accurate and unswervingly loyal of the warriors of the Coven. All of the Shadowchildren are granted the weapons of the Shadowchild before them, and it is a rare instance indeed that those weapons are replaced by any other, as they are not only tools of war, but also symbols of office. No Shadowchild has ever led the Coven without the Shadowhood!
Theyus Shadowchild has an inborn affinity for the forest around him. Though he does not possess the gift of magic, he is still able to speak to the trees around him, to communicate and even to lay out battle-plans with them! If he is staging a defence, he will often spend hours before a battle speaking with the trees, taking their counsel and laying out a corse of action which they will rigidly follow. In the heat of an attack, he is known to bark out orders that seem directed to no one in particular, and the trees will move to allow him to take a previously unavailable shot or to cut off an enemy's escape route. During one battle in particular his well-coordinated defence of Athel Loren would frustrate his loathesome Asur foes to no end, every time the charged the forest his warriors were hidden in the trees would split away and the High Elves would find themselves standing exposed in a clearing, arrows hailing down all around them, while Theyus shouted "The forests elude you!".
I ran the idea of Spites by him already - he decided it was totally cool since they aren't really that game-breaking, and they add a lot to the character of the army. Is it a cool idea? What do y'all think?
