The latest Sylvaneth battletome is packed with new rules and ways to play. We’ve seen how the Creeping Overgrowth battle trait helps you take over the battlefield, now we’re looking at the Grove Guardian’s methods for keeping it a verdant green, and how well they fit into the Soulpod Guardians Army of Renown.
The Grove Guardian herself works best with other Revenants and tree-spirits who protect the soulpod groves – and, as a Priest, she can also chant the Regenesis prayer to keep her fellows hale and hearty. Should any fall to enemy blades, however, she feels such anguish at their deaths that her heart-freezing Soulshriek scream can slay the attackers outright.
GROVE GUARDIAN
REGENESIS
Your Hero Phase (4)
Freshly grown forest spirits leap from the amnioticpods of the Grove Guardian’s genesis tree, ready to join the Everqueen’s war
Declare: Pick a friendly SYLVANETH unit that is wholly within the creeping overgrowth or that is visible to and wholly within 12" of this unit to be the target, then make a chanting roll of D6.
Effect: If the chanting roll was 6+, you can pick another eligible unit to be a second target. If a target is a REVENANT INFANTRY or Dryads unit, return up to D3 models to that target unit. Otherwise, Heal (3) that target.
With Soulshriek, you’re getting to roll a dice for every point of Health on the dearly departed warrior’s warscroll. This ability works great when throwing mobs of 2-Health Tree-Revenants and Spite-Revenants into the melee, but where it really shines is with the warriors riding larger creatures like Spiterider Lancers that have 5 Health apiece – plenty of opportunity for squeezing extra mortal damage through.
Plus, if you want to get your hands on a bunch of flying allies for your Grove Guardian, the new Spearhead: Sylvaneth box is packed with exactly what you need.
The Grove Guardian is also an excellent centrepiece for the Soulpod Guardians Army of Renown. It’s formed entirely out of Grove Guardians, Branchwyches, and units with the Revenant keyword, trading flexibility for a thematic set of rules that have you forming a Soulpod Grove out of Awakened Wyldwoods terrain and defending it with your life.*
Once you’ve got your forest in place, its restorative energies make it much harder to wipe out your troops as the Heart of the Forest constantly fills their woody hides with supernatural vigour.
HEART OF THE FOREST
Passive
Saturated as they are with restorative power, soulpod groves and their guardians are not easily destroyed.
Effect: You cannot allocate more than 10 damage points per phase to a friendly SOULPOD GUARDIANS unit while it is wholly within 12" of your Soulpod Grove (remaining damage points inflicted on it in that phase have no effect).
Don’t worry too much if your enemies tear down the grove, though – such an affront will not go unanswered. The Vengeance for the Lost felt by your entire army replaces all sense of self with the burning need to tear their foes limb from limb, gaining 2 Attacks on every unit’s melee weapons until someone is paying for such senseless destruction.
VENGEANCE FOR THE LOST
Passive
Should they witness the desecration of their sacred groves, the Sylvaneth will attack with a merciless and frenzied aggression.
Effect: If your Soulpod Grove has been destroyed this battle, add 2 to the Attacks characteristic of friendly SOULPOD GUARDIANS units’ melee weapons.
This Army of Renown is perfect for players who like to castle up and hold their territory in the face of overwhelming force, with the Heart of the Forest rule especially good against big, high-damage armies like the Sons of Behemat, who want to splatter everything as quickly as possible.
The new Battletome: Sylvaneth, Grove Guardian, and Spearhead: Sylvaneth boxed set will be up for pre-order this weekend – all essential for budding worshippers of Alarielle.
* Not actually yours, please. The lives of your Revenants are much more easily regrown.
