I talk to the trees - Magic of the Wood Elves

As initiates to the mysteries of earthen lore Wood Elf mages develop mastery of Amber and Jade spells. As a
Protector of the Woods, you have a great responsibility to familiarise yourself with the subtle though powerful abilities
of the mages accompanying your warhosts. The Elves have a mighty magical heritage. Demonstrate it upon the
wracked and tortured bodies of thy foe!

Choices To Make

The choice of spell deck is largely a matter of personal preference but a canny commander will benefit by learning the
comparative advantages of his available spell decks. Selecting magic compatible with your playing style and army
composition adds to your enjoyment of the game and fine tunes your troops into an effective fighting force.

Amber spells result in offensive spellcasters hurling death and destruction at their foes. They also disable the enemy
with a range of binding and entrapment spells able to negate the usefulness of even the strongest enemy models.

Jade spellcasters benefit from nature's protection and present the enemy with a number of nasty surprises. You can
discover these for yourself as we examine the best uses for some of these spells.

Resist Thy Foe

Several spell options exist for protecting the mage and his compatriots. Preserving your military assets can be just as
important to your success as eliminating those of your enemy. Here are some useful methods by which this can be
achieved:

Amber's Vengeful Hood duplicates the effect of a Black Amulet on the caster providing an unmodified 4+ save against
any wound received and rebounding those received in combat upon the hapless striker. Vengeful Hood differs in
allowing the enemy a save against any rebounded wounds but in combat this could mean the difference between
eliminating an opponent or not, and winning or losing combat resolution.

The Jade deck is blessed with a variety of spells designed to resist the efforts of those who would despoil the
tranquillity of the forest.

The Cloak of Dain negates D6 wounds between the start of one of your turns and the next so be sure not to rely on it
for the rest of the magic phase, or even next turn if it is your opponents. Frenzied characters or those with multiwound
weapons will still be your bane so if your mages fling themselves into combat with great gusto be sure not to
overestimate your safety margin. Additional protection such as Ariel's dodge or Magic War Paint will be useful.

If your mage is independent or teleporting, select weak and isolated melee opponents where you have judged the
danger from enemy missiles, spells and charges in the next _two_ turns to be high. If attacking a cluster of artillery on
a hill, position yourself to utilise converted charges during pursuits and blocked lines of sight from crests. It's better
than being run over by a cannonball!

If your opponent is audacious enough to engage in the risky practice of targeting wizards with spells you receive a 4+
save against those that cause wounds or death. If successful, the Cloak is dispelled and your mage will be suddenly
vulnerable again. Cautious is as cautious does!

The Spiral Stair levitates the mage into the air. While non-flyers cannot reach you, you are not flying high and you do
not have a flying move. Make sure you are in spell range of likely targets before casting this spell. The Mage cannot be
shot from the ground, gains a 2+ armour saving throw and any incoming spells are dispelled automatically. This
provides a high level of security but ensure you take out any roving manticores or similar nasties before casting this
spell.

Your battleline will need to be arrayed in front of your mage or you risk a canny opponent dispelling Spiral Stair just in
time for you to greet one of his onrushing chariots or killer units next turn. Anyone for shishkabobs?

Flesh to Stone is a defensive spell that packs a hefty wallop. The strength and toughness of a model within 6" of the
caster is dramatically improved at the expense of it's movement. The mage must choose between a character and
his monster mount but steeds are also affected by the spell. The model's armour save becomes 4+ and while this
may be disadvantageous to some models with high armour saves, it will be more than offset by the fact that very few
enemy will now have the strength to harm you easily (especially if your Scouts and Waywatchers have been using
enemy warmachine crew for target practice!) This spell can be thrown indiscriminately on any friendly model and it will
become much harder for your opponent to destroy it. Combat being an especially risky proposition for him. But why be
satisfied with this? The creation of your very own Frankenstein is an occasion that demands a suitable ruckus.

Given the mobility problems associated with the spell the best targets are a friend already in, or about to enter combat,
or fast movers. Characters on elven steeds are still able to charge 9". You cannot fly while affected by this spell and
fortunately (for the enemy) it may not be thrown on a creature that is flying high. Hippogriffs, Pegasaii and Unicorns are
excellent targets due to their high ground movement speed and good initial characteristics. More importantly, they
cannot be challenged, giving you full freedom to select an appropriate erm ... victim.

Confound Thy Foe

These spells will measure the flexibility of your opponent by testing his ability to `stick to da plan' despite inclement
conditions imposed by your crafty mages.

Amber Trance can prevent a single model from participating in the battle until the spell is removed, provided that it fails
a modified leadership test of Ld + D6 versus your 3D6. A model belonging to a unit will be left behind to catch up once
the spell is removed. You cannot force fliers to plunge to their deaths with this spell as the model cannot be harmed or
moved. It may be a very good way to block an advance across a bridge or narrow gap by units following behind the
affected model. Throw this spell on your own monsters or independent characters if it looks as if a large unit is about
to overwhelm them. The enemy can't claim victory points if they aren't able to kill their opposition. You can always
negate the spell once reinforcements have arrived or the enemy have moved off.

Monsters and certain undead are a great target for this spell because they can combine high threat levels with a low
leadership value. War machines reduced down to a single crew are another useful target. Skaven Warp Fire
Throwers require both crew to operate so are particularly vulnerable. The commander of an army with high leadership
values may not consider it worthwhile to expend one of his limited number of dispels so do note the look of frustration
on his face when his most powerful model fails the test!

The Writhing Worm generates a similar outcome to the Amber Trance but is based on 2D6 versus the target's
strength. Many of the same tips apply. Characters can be targeted even when attached to units and usually have
limited strength so make ideal targets.

The Curse of Anraheir greatly reduces the combat effectiveness of an enemy unit. They require a 6 to hit in shooting
or melee, must reroll successful armour saving throws and move at half speed. Restated simply, the enemy will - take
longer to reach you, inflict little damage, die quickly, fail it's break test and probably be caught in the pursuit. No wonder
the spell requires three power to cast!

Mounted troops are a priority target as they require an additional panic test. (Now what did I hear about boar riders
having a -1 leadership penalty?) Choose carefully however because centrepiece mounted units will often have more
magical protection than foot units and rerolling armour saves may not be all that effective if the unit is fully armoured
and has a standard of shielding. This and any other `remains in play' spell are poor choices for Ariel's wand as it is
most effective when able to cast a spell each turn forcing the opponents to use up their dispel resources or receive
adverse effects.

Tangling Thorn is a power 3 spell that prevents the target unit or model from doing anything until dispelled. Don't be
surprised to see your opponent use any means at his disposal to ensure this spell is not successful. He can hardly
afford to be without his dragon, chaos lord or steam tank!

Such high power spells have little chance of being cast in the early stages of the game if your opponent is well
prepared and aware of the Wood Elves magical supremacy, but if it does, it can be a game winner if it prevents
powerful, fast moving enemy from getting into combat. It is one of the best tools at your disposal for offsetting the
inability of your bowfire to remove high toughness opponents.

Earth Blood is not simply the best spell in the Jade deck, it is one of the best in the Warhammer world. The mage
leaves the table until the beginning of a new magic phase and benefits from sanctuary from enemy attacks, full
healing, a majority of the magic cards in the new magic phase and the ability to teleport into an advantageous position
(including combat with vulnerable opponents.) Because of it can severely cripple an opponent in the next magic phase
he will try very hard to dispel it each round. By asting it at the end a magic phase you make it hard for him to decide
how many dispels to retain in hand, maximising it's chance of success. It also allows your mage to throw his other
spells first and deters the enemy from casting spells at any unit he is still attached to. Whether your opponent has
Drain Magic or not is immaterial as it will negate Earth Blood whether it is thrown early or late in the phase.

The Peace spell from the Jade deck has a dual use, the first being to rally a fleeing unit. This is always important but
moreso if enemy mages are using grey spells. Thrown early in the spell phase it may rally the unit before enemy
teleport into your routers and remove the unit from play. The second use is to force a steady unit to make a leadership
test if it wishes to shoot or move. It's a great option for neutralising large Goblin, Snotling or Jezzail blocks but the
enemy will have more dispel options when Peace is used for this purpose. Thrown on a unit of skirmishers or others
acting as a missile screen it will slow down the enemy advance and allow your archers to wreak further mayhem if
the enemy fail their leadership test. This applies to any spell able to bind or entrap .This spell does not remain in play.

Jade Casket temporarily revives a slain character or creature so that it reappears within 6" of the caster with full
wounds but no magic items or spells. Special abilities would be retained and may influence your decision as to who
(or what) should be revived. There is no allowance for reappearing in combat, you will need to charge to do that. Many
players make the mistake of withholding use of this spell until one of their major characters or monsters dies. This is a
mistake as this spell can revive a new friend each turn without affecting those summoned earlier. As the reanimated
can be dispelled back to oblivion in subsequent turns you will need to keep your mage close to the enemy or throw it
on fast moving troops so they can get into battle quickly and inflict damage upon the enemy. Be wary of panic tests
caused by loss of the revived in combat but then again even a single fast-moving Glade Rider can break the crew of a
warmachine!

Amber's Flying Bower and Jade's Emerald Pool are normal wizard only teleport spells though the later is limited in
range to 24" from the Mage or a terrain watercourse. But I repeat for emphasis, don't make the mistake of teleporting
into combat with enemy beyond your capabilities. Artillery and skirmishers are usually the easiest units to defeat, but
again, be wary of what can charge or shoot at you in the enemies turn. Placing the mage on the flank or rear of enemy
units may not aid combat resolution because he is less than 5 models, but it may restrict enemy counterattack
options by support units.

The best option is to mount your mage in a chariot as it will travel with him and provide both a brutal offence and useful
defence in combat, allowing you to consider attacking a multiple rank unit. Also, champion challenges cannot soak up
all of the damage that would be inflicted on the rest of the unit. Be wary though. Mages should not be wasted attacking
units that contain boobytrap champions or deadly characters unless you have an excellent rationale for doing so.
Cheaper combat augmentations include an additional hand weapon or a lance and Elven Steed if there is a cavalry
unit to protect the mage from shooting in the early stages of the game. Warhawks and flying monsters are not
necessarily a good option for mages as they can't throw spells if driven off and are limited when flying high.

Mist of Duthandor affects a model or unit and those in combat with it. Shooting is not permitted into or out of the Mist
so it can negate the effectiveness of large shooting blocks or dangerous artillery such as volleyguns. Line of sight is
not blocked for your chargers. Affected units may only move randomly at half rate, greatly reducing their ability to
combat you and increasing the probability of a flank or rear being exposed to your lurking infiltrators.

Snotling pumpwagons are an excellent target as they must move, and will cause massive damage on any greenskin
unit unlucky enough to be contacted randomly. Other units affected by the Mist will even fight friends they contact or
walk off cliffs sustaining 2D6 wounds. Throw it on friendly units fighting enemy you strongly expect to break as your
opponent will have fewer dispel options. The enemy are still affected and if broken are automatically destroyed. The
spell is transferred to a unit surviving the combat. Note that the number of hits inflicted in such combats are halved,
increasing the relative importance of ranks and standards in combat resolution. Woe betide the Bloodthirster in
contact with your spearblock!

If major enemy units are protected by dispel items or the inclusion of mages, try throwing the Mist on nearby enemy in
case their erratic movement blocks the advance of the mega-unit. Use it to encourage chariots to impale themselves
on difficult terrain!

Smite Thy Foe

Now for the fun part! Direct damage spells are rarely subtle but the effects of removing figures from play are certain
and entirely pleasurable.

Amber's Savage Beast of Horros metamorphs the caster into a hand to hand monster with WS6, S6 and three
attacks. Just the thing to help you rend and tear your way through heavily armoured opponents. Be certain your mage
has already thrown any desired spells before he goes feral as spellcasting is not permitted in beastform. For those
that want the best of both forms, employ a change, fight, revert strategy between one magic phase and the next.

The Flock of Doom inflicts 3D6 S3 hits and is well suited to removing large numbers of lightly armoured rank and file.
It can cause panic tests on medium sized units and destroy outright most chariots but will only cause limited damage
on high toughness units such as ogres and trolls, or on armoured knights.

Awakening of the Wood does excellent damage for its power cost but only if there is a wood on the battlefield. Not
normally a problem for the Wood Elves but be sure you have familiarised yourself with their special terrain generation
rules. I find that a large wood in the middle of the table can really test an opponent's tactical ability as it is hard to avoid
and may require him to split his forces.

Conversely, it will put your infiltrators in a good position, shield your important models from enemy artillery and provide
ample scope for Awakening of the Wood (Revenge of the Bonsai.....) Dealing 2D6 S4 hits it is more likely to deal
effective damage against moderately tough and armoured opponents such as Orcs and Chaos Warriors.

Hunting Spear has two modes of use. The first treats the spear as a boltthrower shot but starting with a strength of 6
and passing through each rank of the unit until it fails to wound. (Normal bolts stop when they cease to kill.) This
method will commonly kill two to four low cost rank and file. The second mode is recommended. By targeting a single
model you can selectively assassinate enemy heroes with a S6 hit doing D3 wounds. This can even be enough to kill
a general. Honourable commanders will prefer to test their mettle against the enemy general in a clash of arms but
that still leaves ample lesser targets for the Hunting Spear. Enemy Battle Standards or attached Poison Wind
Globardiers are worthwhile targets. A partially wounded general can still inflict tremendous damage but a dead hero or
champion can do nothing so do not neglect these weaker targets.

A high priority would be the bearer of a Ruby Chalice as the spell does not require a to-hit roll. Your archers are sure to
appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate their shooting prowess (without magical interference) at a unit the enemy
wanted to keep safe. The Skull Staffs ability to identify magic items will greatly assist in determining your next target
for this spell. In combination with Skaw the Falconer you will soon relieve your opponent of his best leaders and
combat potential. You heroes will be much more effective in combat without those pesky champions around to
challenge them! This is a good choice of spell for Ariel's Wand.

Jade's Drain Life inflicts good damage against a model in combat with the wizard. I tend to discard this class of spell if
I receive it in my first spell draw as any prolonged combat involving the wizard could be detrimental to his health and
should be avoided. My elven host consists of many archers designed to discomfort the enemy so much that small
elite units will break the enemy at contact when deprived of their full rank bonus (Well, that's the theory anyway!)

Once you have gained magical superiority in the game you can teleport into contact with an enemy then throw this
spell before the next combat phase is resolved. The number of wounds inflicted is 2D6 less the opponents toughness
so heroes and lesser monsters are vulnerable but you need to be lucky in order to wound the really big monsters. Be
warned! Wizards and units with spell rebound capabilities make for a very poor choice of target!

The Green Eye is Jades only ranged, damage-inflicting spell. The 18" long beam inflicts good damage against all
models it passes over and superb damage against warmachines and constructions. Just the thing to disable that
noisy steamtank or remove obstacles protecting the enemy. Whenever you target artillery be sure to pass the beam
over both the machine and a crew member. Even if D3 wounds don't destroy the artillery, death of a crew member
can still cause a panic test. A highly mobile mage will help maximise the number of models affected by the beam and
it is particularly devastating if cast from the flank of the enemies advancing battleline. However, the more units you
target, the greater the chance of negation by a units anti-magical protection. As each model can receive multiple
wounds the spell is particularly useful against Beastmen, Minotaurs, Flamers and the like.

Sagely Advice

In conclusion, I would like to provide some further tips on establishing magical superiority with these spell decks. In the
initial stages of the game you will want to throw numerous low cost spells in an effort to use up the enemies supply of
one-use dispel items and magic cards. Low cost spells are also more efficient at determining which units include
magical defence so that you can reorient spells onto more vulnerable targets. Jade Mages are perfect in this role.
Jade have no power three spells and is truly the Volley Gun of spell decks!

Many Wood Elf commanders will be enlisting Ariel's aid for her combination of movement, combat and spell ability.
One of Ariel's best assets is her wand. It enables Ariel to cast an additional spell each phase at no casting cost.
Commanders who demand effectiveness will insist on this being a power two or, preferably three spell. Same deal
with Total Power. This favours the use of the Amber Deck. Without the wand it is advisable to use your low cost spells
in the early magic phases. In later phases begin with low cost spells and reserve the high cost spells to the end of the
phase when dispel magic cards are most likely to have been expended.

Finally, do not allow this valuable treatise to leave the Forest of Loren. Your enemies are everywhere!
 

Written by Sage