The Sylvaneth battletome introduces a new battle trait, which proves just how deadly trees can be. That sense of creeping dread your opponent feels isn’t just in their head – the overgrowth really is moving.
Have you ever had a strange feeling after turning your back on a small copse? Where, with a quick look back, it appeared to be closer? It was just an illusion, right? Your mind playing tricks on you. Well, if you're bringing the Sylvaneth to the table, it'll be very real for your opponent when they encounter the Creeping Overgrowth. This new battle trait slowly takes over the battlefield as you overgrow the terrain..
THE CREEPING OVERGROWTH
Passive
As children of Ghyran, the Sylvaneth are redolent with the energies of life, which cause the ambient flora to rapidly grow and spread.
Effect: The creeping overgrowth is measured from each terrain feature that has a friendly overgrown token. The range of the creeping overgrowth is based on the number of friendly overgrown tokens on the battlefield as shown:
Overgrown tokens | Creeping Overgrowth Range |
0-2 | 6" |
3-5 | 9" |
6-8 | 12" |
9+ | Whole Battlefield |
Designer’s Note: Awakened Wyldwoods are your main way of generating overgrown tokens. Some unit abilities allow you to do so too.
The main way of spreading the overgrowth is with your Awakened Wyldwoods, which can let you overgrow the nearest terrain feature if it is not controlled by your opponent.
AWAKENED WYLDWOOD
BUDDING FORESTS
Passive
Once awakened, a wyldwood will rapidly grow into an entire forest in a matter of days, should the Sylvaneth successfully repel those who would threaten its flourishing.
Effect: When this terrain feature is set up, give it a friendly overgrown token.
EVER GROWING
Once Per Battle Round, Start of Battle Round
A wyldwood roused by the Sylvaneth will spread its roots deep, inundating its surroundings with life.
Declare: Pick the closest terrain feature to this terrain feature that does not have a friendly overgrown token to be the target.
Effect: If the target is not controlled by your opponent, give the target a friendly overgrown token.
Alarielle also has a spell, Metamorphosis, that further propagates the overgrowth , while the Verdian Crown of the Lady of Vines does the same. When you’ve seeded your creeping overgrowth, you can harvest the benefits when you’re in range and, as we’ve seen, if nine or more terrain features are overgrown, that range is the entire battlefield. Endless Growth helps your wounded units with a quick regrafting.
ENDLESS GROWTH
Once Per Turn (Army), End of Any Turn
As the land itself is roused to wrath, life energies bloom and surge, filling the Sylvaneth with renewed vigour.
Declare: Pick each friendly SYLVANETH unit that is wholly within the creeping overgrowth to be the targets.
Effect: For each target, roll a D3 and pick 1 of the following effects:
Heal (X) the target, where X is equal to the roll.
Return a number of slain models to it with a combined Health characteristic of up to the value of the roll.
This works really well with a defensive set-up – have a unit or two of Kurnoth Hunters with greatbows standing within the creeping overgrowth, raining down fire on distant foes, while you heal them as necessary. Alternatively, you can expand your creeping overgrowth with more Awakened Wyldwoods thanks to Reclaimed by Nature, or stymie your enemy’s plans with Creeping Dread.
RECLAIMED BY NATURE
Once Per Turn (Army), Your Hero Phase
In twisting profusions of unfurling branches, shivering leaves and billowing pollen, trees that would normally take many cycles to reach maturity attain their full, bountiful potential in mere moments.
Effect: If there are fewer than 3 friendly Awakened Wyldwoods on the battlefield, you can set up an Awakened Wyldwood on the battlefield more than 3" from all objectives and enemy units, more than 12" from all other friendly Awakened Wyldwoods and more than 1" from all other terrain features.
CREEPING DREAD
Once Per Turn (Army), Start of Any Turn
The creaking of the trees and the oppressive hum of the spirit-song in their subconscious makes the enemy jumpy and distracted, causing them to hesitate and second-guess orders in the absence of clear leadership.
Declare: Pick an enemy unit within the creeping overgrowth to be the target.
Effect: For the rest of the turn, the first time your opponent declares a command for the target while it is not wholly within 12" of a HERO in their army, unless your opponent spends 1 additional command point to use that command, the command has no effect, it still counts as being used and the command points spent to use the command are still lost.
The Sylvaneth also have a new prayer lore – Lore of the Spirit Song – which combines with the battle trait, as unsettling lullabies echo through the trees, empowering the children of the Everqueen while striking fear into the hearts of your enemy. Sing a Song of Dread to punish anyone foolish enough to get too close.
Alternatively, sing a Song of War to improve the Rend characteristic on the melee weapons of your close combat heavy hitters, such as Kurnoth Hunters with greatswords or greatscythes. If you sing the song well enough, not only will you get a standing ovation from the Revenants of the forest, but you can even choose a second unit to empower.
SONG OF DREAD (4)
Your Hero Phase
Discordant notes and eerie wails herald a sinister change in the spirit-song, causing the shadows to gather thick around a group of foes. It takes but a single misstep to discover what lurks within the dark…
Declare: Pick a friendly SYLVANETH PRIEST to chant this prayer, pick an enemy unit that is wholly within the creeping overgrowth or that is visible to them and within 18" of them to be the target, then make a chanting roll of D6.
Effect: If the chanting roll was 8+, you can pick another eligible unit to be a second target. Until the start of your next turn, each time a target uses a MOVE ability and ends that move within the creeping overgrowth, inflict D3 mortal damage on that target after that MOVE ability has been resolved
KEYWORDS: PRAYER
SONG OF WAR
Your Hero Phase
The spirit-song becomes an angry, staccato beat that awakens something primal in the Sylvaneth, seeing them crush bones and twist steel with the latent strength in their barkflesh.
Declare: Pick a friendly SYLVANETH PRIEST to chant this prayer, pick a friendly SYLVANETH unit that is wholly within the creeping overgrowth or that is visible to them and wholly within 12" of them to be the target, then make a chanting roll of D6.
Effect: If the chanting roll was 10+, you can pick another eligible unit to be a second target. Until the start of your next turn, add 1 to the Rend characteristic of the target(s) melee weapons.
KEYWORDS: PRAYER
We’ll be taking a closer look at one of the priests who can use this new prayer lore – the Grove Guardian – later in the week. In the meantime, if you need somewhere to write down the words to all of your spirit songs, get yourself a Sylvaneth-themed notebook.
