The Wych Elm trees are magical trees with the ability to draw magical power from the ground as they grow and store it in their wood. Those trees are therefore sacred to all elves as both manifestations of nature and nodes of great magical power. The first Wych Elm trees to grow in the Old World were brought as saplings from the High Elf realm of Avelorn during the reign of Bel-Shanaar. However, the trees would not grow where the ground was not strong in both nurturing power and magical energy. Thus it was that all the saplings withered and died, except for a handful who grew strong and endure to this age in the magical Wood Elf realm of Loren.
The Wood Elves always protected those trees, but even more fiercely after their mages divined the fate of the Wych Elms. The power of Chaos has grown strong for centuries, and its power has been poisoning and corrupting the magical currents that flow beneath the ground. Even the virgin forest of Loren has not completely escaped that influence. In the past it was very difficult to make young Wych Elm trees grow. Now it is impossible. Wood Elf scouts have been traveling far and wide, ever since that fateful portent, in search of places where the Wych Elm still grows.
They always come back empty handed. Their only hope lies in their long-missed homeland, in Ulthuan, where the sacred trees may yet prosper in the realm of Avelorn. But all the High Elf travellers who have yet visited Loren, know not the secrets of Avelorn. So the Wood Elves may only hope, and of course do their best to guard the still-living Wych Elms, preserving them onto eternity...
The Guardians of Wych Elm are selected by Queen Ariel herself. They are men and women determined to live most of their time away from their kindereds, organised into groups guarding the sacred trees. They are undoubtedly the best swordsmen in all Loren, but their real strength lies in their ability to coordinate swordplay with spellcasting!
Every spring the Wych Elm trees grow full of their magical fruit. That is a shining green crystal, called the 'Emerald Stone', which is of course not edible, but suffused with magical energy. Every Guardian wears an Emerald Stone over his breast, giving him the ability to weave minor spells.
The Guardians wear no armour, so that their agility is not hindered in battle. However they do carry shields depicting the Wych Elm tree. Both their swords and their shields carry the blessing of their Queen.
0-1 Guardians of Wych
Elm..................20 points per model
Your army may include one unit of Guardians of Wych Elm.
| PROFILE | M | WS | BS | S | T | W | I | A | Ld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| Guardian Champion | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 8 |
Weapons/Armour: Guardians are armed with sword and shield.
SPECIAL RULES
Blessed Weapons: The Guardians weapons are blessed by Queen Ariel. Their swords can strike twice in hand-to-hand combat, while their shields offer an unmodified save of 6+.
Magic Save: The Emerald Stone can disperse harmful energies giving the unit a save of 4+ against spells.
Fighting Formation: The Guardians fight in ranks when in open battle as usual. They are trained however to fight as well in a dispersed formation with models up to 2" apart. This is not a skirmish formation and they do not suffer any penalties for skirmishing.
Spell-casting: The Guardians can cast spells while moving AND during hand-to-hand combat. These spells cannot be cast in the magic phase, require no cards and cannot be dispelled. Combat spells cannot be cast during the movement phase and vice versa. The same combat spell cannot be used for two turns in succesion. All Guardians always use the same spell.
Phew! That's all about the Guardians. As you have probably found out their rules are exactly the same with the rules for wardancers including stats, special rules and points cost. I created them for two reasons: 1) I have missed the old wood-elf swordsmen models (I use them for Guardians, painted green and white) and though the glade guards are nice, for me the archetypal close-combat elf is the one with the sword! I don't care how much wood one has to burn in order to make a sword, wood elves MUST have rank and file with swords! 2) I hate wardancers. I know that most people probably like them (I have heard no one complaining), but I cannot see how these half-naked ravers fit in with an elf army. The Guardians both allow me to field sword-wielding rank and file models and give me something to replace the wardancers without restricting my options as a wood elf general. I could discard the wardancers and make my own rules for swordsmen, but then my opponents might not like the idea of a custom-made unit (at least some of them).
Anyway, if I would add a special rule of my own, that would certainly have to be a very simple one: longbows for 8 pts (yes, 8, I'm desperate). Then the Guardians would have every right to be called Rangers of Wych Elm and I would be a happier man!