I have the Sylvaneth Battletome review to share with you!

I was given a copy of the book to review and if you want the super short version, I am 100% blown away by this book.

The main highlights of this book are;

LOADS of new rules!

Massively different to all previous battle tomes.

Huge range of model releases.

Alarielle The Everqueen

Drycha Hamadreth

Branchwych

Tree-Revenants

Spite-Revenants

Kurnoth Hunters (Bow/Sword/Scythe)

The Sylvaneth Battletome is 144 pages and is packed cover to cover with a slew of new models, artwork and rules.

Sylvaneth Battletome Warscroll Summaries.

New Sylvaneth Warscrolls

Alarielle The Everqueen

Awesome new huge monster kit.

16 Wounds. 3+ Save.

Heals D3 wounds per hero phase

A 30” Ranged attack that does D6 damage at all times.

4 Talon of Dwindling attacks that can auto kill at end of phase.

5 Attacks from the war beetle that do 5 damage!

Charge attack that does D3 Mortal wounds unit near a terrain piece.

Soul Amphorae – Heals Friendlys or brings on new units. You can roll but still choose a lower result.

Casts 3 spells, Metamorphosis turns slain units into Wyldwoods.

Once per battle Command Ability lets all Sylvaneth reroll failed wound rolls.

Matched Play points for Alarielle are 620. Just for comparison, Nagash is 900, Gordrakk is 700, Lord Celeastant on Start Drake is 600, and Archaon is 700.

Drycha Hamadreth

Drycha is a new monster kit.

10 wounds, 3+ Save. 2 missile attacks to choose from.

Colony of Flitterfuries is a cloud effect that starts at 18” and hits every enemy unit. Roll 10 dice for each unit and causes a mortal wound on a 6. Swarm of Squirmlings hits a single unit but rolls against each model to cause a mortal wound on a sliding damage chart starting at 3+.

In combat she has 2x damage 2 attacks and a 2D6 4+/4+ attack.

Mercurial Aspect gives her the chance to increase he attacks or shrug off the effects of damage.

Song of Spite give Re-roll wound rolls of 1 to friendly Spite-Revenants

She is also a wizard and her own spell is 2D6+2 vs Bravery for all units in 10”

280 points in Matched Play.

Spirit Of Durthu

Similar to the Durthu rules from the Wood Elves compilation, but now this is not a named character and you can field multiples of them. The ranged attack is now called Verdant Blast and has 15” range. 4+/3+ rend -1 and D3 damage. It starts with 6 attacks and can add an extra 2 by channeling life-force but losing D3 wounds.

Champions of the Everchosen ability gives bravery to friendly models and the Solem Guardian ability can deflect wounds from nearby Heros onto the Spirt of Durthu. (This can give Alarielle and 4+ Ward)

Treelord Ancient

Same as old rules other than gains Hero keyword and a Command Ability that gives preroll 1’s on armour save to Sylvaneth within 10”

Treelord and Branchwraith stayed the same as Grand Alliance Order.

Branchwych

New Hero Wizard. Very similar to a BranchWraith and has the Unleash Spites spell, cast on a 5+ and hits all units in 9” roll number of dice equal to casting value and cause mortal wounds on a 6.

Spite-Revenants and Tree-Revenants

New unit type and kit. Fantastic looking Spite/Aelf/Dryad looking infantry.

Tree Revenants have a fairly standard stat line and champion that does double damage. all have rend -1. 2 abilities give them the Walk the Spirit Path ability and also can preroll a single dice per phase.

Spite-Revenants cause nearby terrain to be haunted, this forces opponents to roll an extra dice for battleshock andune the highest (great against Deamons!) They also give -1 Bravery to nearby enemy units.

The back story for these units are very interesting. They seem to be the descendants of the original Wood Elves that have ‘gone native’ and been drawn in to the Sylvaneth.

Kurnoth Hunters

Over sized infantry, 5 wounds, Move 5, save 4+. They have abilities like the old 5th edition dryads where they can choose t sprout tangle thorn and preroll armour saves but can’t move. They can extend the rang of all command abilities and always count as being in range no matter where on the battlefield. They have a mortal wound trample attack and are armed with either Bows of Greatweapons. The great Bows are tasty with 30” range, rend -1 and D3 damage.

Dryads are the same as the Order Grand Alliance book.

So thats 12 Warscrolls including the Sylvaneth Wildwood and 9 of them are new or have been improved.

The synergies across the faction are going to be incredible when the armies hit the table. Ambush attacks, massed mortal wounds. Lots of high damage, alpha strike potential.

Sylvaneth Wylodwoods will play a huge part in the battles. 5 out of the 11 Sylvaneth units are Wizards and can set off the Roused by Magic rule. A sylvaneth player can flood the table with Wyldwoods and use magic to dish out a huge amount of mortal wounds.

The faction has a lot of resilience built into it too. Just simple combos like dryads getting +1 Armour save with 12 or more models and getting Mystic Shield, Cover and the Treelord Ancient’s command ability. Then if they get beaten up you can teleport them to safety.

The 2 new named characters are both pretty epic. Alarielle is just an brute of a Hero. -2 rend and 5 Damage from the war beetle and multiple ways in the faction to heal wounds back means she can dish out amazing amounts of punishment while also sticking around to soak it up. She can buff friendly troops in various ways and also add units to the battle. Whats not to like really!

Drycha is also amazing. Her 2 shooting attacks in combination with the Sylvaneth abilities to appear and disappear at will makes her a difficult enemy to face. At 280 points in matched play, Drycha seems to be a great choice. I can see her being used to either assassinate Heros and small units, or quickly destroy large units. When writing a tournament army list, ‘Will I face Drycha’ has to be a major consideration before bringing large units of single wound models near to her. If Drycha can appear just outside 9” and get a double turn she will be devastating. The Swarm of Squirmlings will easily destroy entire units of 30 or 40 models when taking battleshock into account, if fact, the larger the unit the worse it gets!

14 Warscroll Batallions including mixed Factions. (Lorrus Grymn and his Hallowed Knights)

Allegiance: Sylvaneth

Allegiance Abilities – Bonus Abilities for staying ‘In Faction’

Wildwood Groves: After all pieces of scenery are set up, but before the battle begins and players choose territory or set up their armies, you can place one Sylvaneth Wildwood anywhere on the battlefield that is more than 1” from any other piece of scenery.

Forest Spirits: Instead of setting up a Sylvaneth unit or battalion, you can place it to one side and say it is set up in one of the hidden enclaves. In any of your movement phases, you can transport the unit (or battalion) to the battlefield. When you do so, set it up so that all models are within 3” of a Sylvaneth Wyldwood and more than 9” from any enemy models. This is their move for that movement phase.

Navigate Realm Roots: If a Sylvaneth unit is within 3” of a Sylvaneth Wyldwood at the start of your movement phase, it can attempt to traverse the spirit paths instead of moving normally. If it does so, remove the unit from the battlefield, the set it up within 3” of a different Sylvaneth Wyldwood, more than 9” from any enemy models. you then roll on a chart 1. do nothing else that turn, 2-5 No movement but can shoot and charge, 6 can still move again this movement phase. Tree lords can never get tangled.

What this means in gaming terms is you can reply a huge wildwood and summon more later if needed. You can then use your abilities to teleport around the table to react to how your opponent is deploying and attacking your forces.

The Sylvaneth can appear at the edge of a forest, take a charge, then in the following hero phase they can Walk the Realm Roots to withdraw from a combat and leave the enemy out of position.

Command Traits.

Choose of roll on a chart if army all has keyword Sylvaneth

Realm Walker – +2 to navigate realm roots

Gnarled Warrior – Ignore -1 rend

Gift of Ghyran – Heal wounds each hero phase

Lord of Spites – Reroll 1 failed hit each phase

Warsinger – +1 to charge within 10”

Wisdom of Ancients – +1 Bravery within 10”

Deepwood Spell Lore.

Only available to a ‘Sylvaneth Army’

All Wizards know an additional spell from the Deepwood Spell Lore. (each will now know 4 spells)

Throne of vines – 5+ add D3 to cast and unbinding until they move.

Regrowth – 5+ Heals D3 wounds. Sylvaneth heals D6

Verdant Blessing – 6+ Set up a Sylvaneth Wyldwood

The Dwellers Below – 7+ Pick a unit in 10”. Cause a mortal wound on 6+

The Reaping – 6+ All enemy units in 3” suffer D3 mortal wounds

Treesong – 7+ Move a Sylvaneth Wyldwood 2d6” Cause d3 mortal wounds to all units in 1”

Artefacts of the Glades

Any Sylvaneth Hero can have an artefacts nd and Sylvaneth Wizard can have an arcane treasure

Magical Artefacts

Daith’s Reaper – 6’s to wound have -4 rend

Oaken Armour – +1 Save

Briarsheath – -1 to he the bearer

Seed of Rebirth – Heal d3 wounds when last wound is suffered

Wraithstone – -1 Bravery in 10”

Glamourweave – Ignore mortal wounds on 6+

Arcane Treasures

Acorn of Ages – Set up a Wyldwood

Warsong Stave – Knows the Treesong spell (could know 5 spells!)

Moonstone of Hidden ways – Move anywhere 4” away from enemy

Ranu’s Lamentiri – +1 to casting. +2 on Deepwood Lore

Hagbane Spite – Cause d3 wounds on a caster instead of unbinding

The Silverwood Circlet – add 6” to spell range.

A huge amount of new rules and abilities in this book set’s us up for what must be coming down the line with future battle tomes.

If I had to rate the Sylvaneth battltome I would place it higher than the Generals Handbook which is already at the top of the pile when it comes to Age of Sigmar releases so far.

Questions?

If you have any questions at all about this Sylvaneth battletome review episode feel free to get in touch.

You can contact Ben all over the web!

Email – bencurry@baddice.co.uk

Twitter @baddice_podcast

Facebook – facebook.com/baddice

Instagram – @bencurry

Snapchat – @baddicepodcast

Take part in the community and let others know what you think to this Sylvaneth battletome review over at – The Grand Alliance Community. – TGA.Community