# Wood Elves facing an Empire cannon line



## Blue Liger (Apr 25, 2008)

The other day I had a game against Empire with my WE, I had decided to muck around with a few units and power units (using a WE dragon for the fun of it, also used some eternal guard that I had never used before). Anyway it was 2250 pt list and I didn't have any warhawks with me yet (I am getting some soon they are expensive here $33 for 1) and he fielded 3 great cannons, 1 hellfire battery or whatever it was and a steam tank - (my reaction.... $#@#$%$%$#$#[email protected]#@[email protected]$#$#$#$#$ great though I gave it my best shot and still enjoyed the experience of playing it), anyways it completely tabled me with it he lost 1 cannon to hs own misfire and that was really about it my magic was shut down and my lord on dragon failed to really do anything (on top of it running).

Anyways does anyone have any suggestions on how to combat this sort of Empire list using WE?

As mine was more a fun list I used 3 lots of 8 dryads, 2 lots of 10 glade guard, 20 eternal guard, 2 lots of 6 wild riders, 2 lvl 2 spell singers, 1 hero on foot and a lord on dragon and from what I remeber thats was about it.


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## maddermax (May 12, 2008)

Hmm... ouch, as fun as dragon lords are, they really feel the pain against artillery heavy enemies. Even a Treeman would have had a better chance I suspect, because of his Forest Spirit save, though a lord hidden safely in a unit would probably serve you best. Dryads would seem to be the best core choice against them, once again because of their save and skirmishing, though archers can usually do some damage against war machines with a bit of luck. One thing you can look at is how much terrain was on the board, the more the better in this match up certainly, and don't forget to get your full sized wood in there, and tree-sing it up the middle.

Besides that, warhawks (once you get them) and possibly a unit of waywatchers, who can get up close and personal with cannon crews very early on, unless he has them completely surrounded.

Generally, if you take more skirmishing units against him, and less big blocks/monsters, you'll probably do a bit better, as artillery does diddly squat to them most of the time. The steam tank though is a different beast altogether, and very difficult to take apart. Remember that it can't move into difficult terrain at all, so your tree singing forests can really get in his way, if you're lucky. Besides that, instead of taking it out, I'd more recommend trying to distract it, so you can ignore it. Having units flee from it where they can, or having a unit of forrest spirits (ItP and wardsave is very useful) to hold it up, if you can get the regeneration spell on them too to keep them alive longer. If you really feel like throwing a lord into it (not recommended), give him perhaps the most expensive magic sword (I forget the name), which auto wounds and does extra wounds, then get him some protection items and a unit that can stand up to the STank for a turn or two, and go to town on him.

Anyway, that's the best advice I can give, not being a wood elf player, hopefully it helps. If you find yourself being shut down in the magic phase, trade in the dragon for another caster or two, and keep those trees moving up. And try to get a decent amount of terrain onto the field to start with 

Hope that helps!


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## Yilmar (Sep 12, 2009)

The best way to silence the guns with WE is by using about 2 units of hawk riders i guess. Fly them over asap and hope that there isnt a lot of small arms fire. If so you could doombolt at least 1 unit to smithereens.
Skirmishing units are also very effective against the big guns cause they have no ranks. So 1 cannon shot could do about 2 hits max per shot. They also bring that extra modifier in against all small arms fire.
To sum it up it all comes down to killing all small arms fire so you're hawks get stuck in there without any losses.

As for the problem that they are quite expensive try converting some of your own. Don't know if its cheaper but you could use great eagles with wild riders on them. I'm guessing that would look quite awesome to!

Good luck! :victory:


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## NagashKhemmler (Apr 28, 2009)

I know this is a completely different army, but I find chaos hounds great versus artillery, anything with movement 7 or higher is great, you start the game 11" forwards (just out of range of handguns) move 14, putting you 13" away, weather the storm then charge the cannons. I use a dragon too, I find it's best used to run right up into the face of the cannons, generally this puts it 4" away from the cannon and unlikely to take a hit at that range, on top of that the breath weapon should thin out/kill the crew....

Another tactic I've used with my chaos is the chaos standard (forget the name) it puts ppl at -1 leadership, then I give the general diabolic splendour and land next to the cannons, this puts them at leadership 6-7 so I can often make a cannon run away along with putting a serious dent in to their surrounding units. Furious roar can work similarly well in terms of knocking out cannon crews quickly. Although they aren't wood elf weaponry, similar weapons/tactics can really help.

Dragons are such a huge points sink and such a centrepiece that armies need to be designed to compliment them they aren't like other heroes in that they can be added, they need to be the start and have things built around them.

With wood elves, your best asset is your bows, if you go for a fully ranged army you can hold your own against empire gunlines quite well, iirc you have a 30" range on longbows, so you outrange and you can move and shoot, he can't. So just dance around and pick him off, you can also use the bows to knock out cannon crews reasonably well, so there's a few options.


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## Orochi (Jan 28, 2009)

I maintain that Waywatchers are the way forward against Empire gunlines.

Hail of Doom arrow against a Cannon has a high chance of killing all the crew. So definitly take this item.


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## Durzod (Nov 24, 2009)

A really irritating item for your dragon rider is the crystal that gives you AND THE DRAGON a 3+ ward until you fail it. Should get you close enough to tear apart the artillery park.
As to the tank, a treeman and/or treekin do quite well. Treekin arem't as strong,but can generate more attacks.


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