How are you supposed to play Wood Elves?

[Lampros]

I went the offensive path in my 1st game and did pretty well v. the Fay Enchantress and wiped her faction with some luck. But I could not hold the provinces I took from her at all, because I could only build Asrai Lookout - which seems like just a settlement with 1 building and weak Garrison (if at all)? And then I ran out of Amber and could not acquire it at all.

So more specifically, my question are two. First, how am I supposed to hold these Asrai Lookouts? Second, if I take the diplomacy route, how do ever get Alliances - which I assume is how you acquire Amber via diplomacy? Nobody even wants to make even trade agreements with me other than two neighboring Wood Elves.

Seriously, these guys are so much harder than the other 3 factions I've dabbled with: Empire, Dwarves, and Bretonnia. I am just stumped. And I couldn't even find a guide on how to play them either. Any pointers in regard to the early game to begin with?

[Firaeveus Carron]

Alternatively, you could do what I do every Wood Elf game: take out either Argwylon or the Wood Elves (whichever you're not playing as) within the first few turns and secure yourself a second massive province. You can then take out the Wood Elf sub factions quickly before they form an alliance.

If you do not want to choose this route, the Wood Elves can be slow to start up. You are not supposed to hold your settlements outside of the forest; they will always be near defenseless. Focus on wiping out any immediate threats before you focus on secure expanding.

You aren't going to be getting any easy early trade agreements with anyone aside from the Wood Elves. Check out their trait: Isolationist. While you, as the player, obviously don't have these traits, you do start off as an isolationist. Wood Elves rarely leave the forest in lore, so it only makes sense that your gameplay is limited as such to begin with. You start off with an inherent -40 or so attitude penalty with all non-Wood Elf factions and must complete research in order to remove the penalties with each faction.

You have a massive 8 slot starting province / settlement at the expense of only being able to build one building (if colonized settlements do not have a port or similar structure). Eventually, you will be able to acquire the massive starting provinces of the other Wood Elf factions via diplomacy or other means. This leaves the Wood Elves with the strongest position, as their 4 mighty provinces are extremely close to each other in easily defensible territory.

As I said, if you do not want to start off by conquering your neighbouring Wood Elves, you're going to be spending quite a bit of time sitting in your base until you can slowly begin to push out. Destroying armies and factions should always come before trying to colonize and defend conquered settlements.

[StarofTanuki]

I said disaband all unit and press end turn until you can recruit Etheral guard (shield) .

now just truth me .

[Firaeveus Carron]

Originally posted by >po|nt`|ockout<52Hz>.,~*:

I said disaband all unit and press end turn until you can recruit Etheral guard (shield) .

now just truth me .

I personally think this is a poor route to take. If you do this on any difficulty higher than normal, you will likely be overrun by Beastmen or Carcassone (whichever Bret faction starts off at war with you) while you tech up and rake in money.

Merely setting out and harassing the Bret faction you start off at war with is a much safer option that also doesn't require you to blow your saved gold on a new army after having disbanded your initial army. Going from Eternal Guard to Eternal Guard with shields isn't a make or break move in the early game anyways.

[StarofTanuki]

Originally posted by Firaeveus Carron:

Originally posted by >po|nt`|ockout<52Hz>.,~*:

I said disaband all unit and press end turn until you can recruit Etheral guard (shield) .

now just truth me .

I personally think this is a poor route to take. If you do this on any difficulty higher than normal, you will likely be overrun by Beastmen or Carcassone (whichever Bret faction starts off at war with you) while you tech up and rake in money.

Merely setting out and harassing the Bret faction you start off at war with is a much safer option that also doesn't require you to blow your saved gold on a new army after having disbanded your initial army. Going from Eternal Guard to Eternal Guard with shields isn't a make or break move in the early game anyways.

don't worry dude i have played on legendary( i repeat legendary) Beastmen/Carcassone never come into forest and 14 EG shield + 6 Gladeguard can win every army in early game .

also if you keep end turn, this don't mean you lost time or money because Tecnology +30% raze income is huge gold boost when your army are ready .

[Sultschiem]

In my experience: try diplomacy.

Get the other wood elven factions, help certain factions out, try to ally with others (like clan angrund if you are orion).

What you want to do is conquer to a certain degree, then hold your boarder with an ally. YOu also get amber from defensive and military alliances as well as vassals.

[Shandor]

Well i made a guide for woodelves once. That might help you. Just search for "a woodelf guide".
You can trade and make alliances as soon you got the skills or buildings with a lord inside.

But conquering is the more easy and faster path. If you want to hold your outposts you need an Army nearby. Woodelves can make the most money from all factions, so its not a big deal to have an defensive army for bretonia, tilea,the woods and the north. And still some armies for offensive business.
Its impossible to not lose an outpost here and there. But usualy not a big deal to get it back, one or two turns later. And its not a big deal. If you got a real city razed you could lose some ten tousands of money. If you lose an outpost you lose 500-1000?

The key is to conquere to the point you meet a bottleneck since its easy to defend when the enemy has to come from one direction through the bottleneck. (Like the passes between bretonia and the empire)
And you need to be prepared for the beastman to spawn every few turns. But they only got 3 different spawn points.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Firaeveus Carron:

Alternatively, you could do what I do every Wood Elf game: take out either Argwylon or the Wood Elves (whichever you're not playing as) within the first few turns and secure yourself a second massive province. You can then take out the Wood Elf sub factions quickly before they form an alliance.

Originally posted by Sultschiem:

In my experience: try diplomacy.

Get the other wood elven factions, help certain factions out, try to ally with others (like clan angrund if you are orion).

Originally posted by Shandor:

But conquering is the more easy and faster path. If you want to hold your outposts you need an Army nearby. Woodelves can make the most money from all factions, so its not a big deal to have an defensive army for bretonia, tilea,the woods and the north. And still some armies for offensive business.

Thanks, guys. I will try to take out the other Elf factions first next time indeed.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Shandor:

Well i made a guide for woodelves once. That might help you. Just search for "a woodelf guide".

Thanks; I will definitely look for it.

Originally posted by Shandor:

Woodelves can make the most money from all factions, so its not a big deal to have an defensive army for bretonia, tilea,the woods and the north.

Really? I couldn't make money at all in my game. But then, I had no idea what was going on...

Originally posted by Shandor:

And you need to be prepared for the beastman to spawn every few turns. But they only got 3 different spawn points.

Could you tell me where they are? Thanks in advance!

[harleyquinrazer]

Spawn points when I played were Estalia, NW of Carcassone and someplace else which I couldn't remember since it wasn't close to the key WE settlements.

Conquering the Wood Elf factions isn't recommended if you can't afford an army that can overcome the numbers advantage the others have when they turtle within their main settlement. If they run out to smash beastmen or some such then conquest becomes an option.

[StarofTanuki]

If you disaband all unit you can have 20k gold and all upgrade building under 10 turn next 10 turn you can have 1 plus half army or play with short gold rebel strike back and no alliance ,up to you . I tried to offer easiest way and you nagate me in every topic .

[Shandor]

Originally posted by Lampros:

Originally posted by Shandor:

Well i made a guide for woodelves once. That might help you. Just search for "a woodelf guide".

Thanks; I will definitely look for it.

Originally posted by Shandor:

Woodelves can make the most mbYoney from all factions, so its not a big deal to have an defensive army for bretonia, tilea,the woods and the north.

Really? I couldn't make money at all in my game. But then, I had no idea what was going on...

Originally posted by Shandor:

And you need to be prepared for the beastman to spawn every few turns. But they only got 3 different spawn points.

Could you tell me where they are? Thanks in advance!

There are different ways to make money and you can use them all.
1. Vineyards. And if you have more then one woodelfcity (not outposts) you shoud add vine cellars. (The cellar is useless for a single city)
2. Harbors. There is a skill in your research tree that boosts the income of ports by 400%. There are around 6 harbours in bretonia, 3 in estalia, 3 in tilea and 9in norsca. Some citys have even bigger harbours that five extra money like marienburg.
3. Spellsinger. If you have the building to recruit them to max, you can skill them +20% more income in the province they are in. They stack and some even got a starting trait that gives you additional 5%.just let them chill near your capital city.
4. Lords and heroes got a skill that gives them extra money after battle. Thats alot. Once I got 20000gold for razing a city plus the battle money.
You can wait for revolutions and/or Beastman and farm them for money.



Bestman spawn at the hills north of Carcassonne and in the woods in estalia most of the times. I think there is a 3rd one but cant remember it right now.

One personal note: I think woodelves are much more easy when you play as Durthu. He gets the stronger units without amber costs and Durthu himself is a walking siegetower.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by harleyquinrazer:

Spawn points when I played were Estalia, NW of Carcassone and someplace else which I couldn't remember since it wasn't close to the key WE settlements.

Conquering the Wood Elf factions isn't recommended if you can't afford an army that can overcome the numbers advantage the others have when they turtle within their main settlement. If they run out to smash beastmen or some such then conquest becomes an option.

Thanks; I will keep all that in mind.

Originally posted by >po|nt`|ockout<52Hz>.,~*:

I tried to offer easiest way and you nagate me in every topic .

Huh? Is that reply to me? I am not sure where I "nagate" you "in every topic."

Originally posted by Shandor:

There are different ways to make money and you can use them all.
1. Vineyards. And if you have more then one woodelfcity (not outposts) you shoud add vine cellars. (The cellar is useless for a single city)
2. Harbors. There is a skill in your research tree that boosts the income of ports by 400%. There are around 6 harbours in bretonia, 3 in estalia, 3 in tilea and 9in norsca. Some citys have even bigger harbours that five extra money like marienburg.
3. Spellsinger. If you have the building to recruit them to max, you can skill them +20% more income in the province they are in. They stack and some even got a starting trait that gives you additional 5%.just let them chill near your capital city.
4. Lords and heroes got a skill that gives them extra money after battle. Thats alot. Once I got 20000gold for razing a city plus the battle money.
You can wait for revolutions and/or Beastman and farm them for money.



Bestman spawn at the hills north of Carcassonne and in the woods in estalia most of the times. I think there is a 3rd one but cant remember it right now.

One personal note: I think woodelves are much more easy when you play as Durthu. He gets the stronger units without amber costs and Durthu himself is a walking siegetower.

OMG, thank you so much. That is a lot of useful info!

[Spotty Dog]

Any way you like, pretty much I win button. THey can fight up close and they can hit at ranged. War with the wood elves is a pain in the arse (an arrow sized pain).

[Shandor]

Originally posted by ebod1974:

Any way you like, pretty much I win button. THey can fight up close and they can hit at ranged. War with the wood elves is a pain in the arse (an arrow sized pain).

Dwarves are kinda hard for woodelves. You sure got the tools to beat them. Like armorbreaking, flyers and a good cav. But having the tools dont make them an easy enemy.
They have the better ranged units. They are dwarves after all and should have the best ranged abilitys. They have warmachienes and strong close combat infantry.

Lucky for the woodelves: they have wild riders to hunt down the ranged units.

All other factions are more or less underdogs against well played woodelves. Sometimes bretonia can be hard. If they got a good army composition.

The cool thing on the woodelf campaign is, that you can conquer Norsca since you are immune to the attrition in the north. And its also worth it. 2 good armies can conquer it and once the norsca tribes are wiped out you dont need much defence up there but get alot money from all those Harbors.

[Lampros]

Originally posted by Shandor:

Lucky for the woodelves: they have wild riders to hunt down the ranged units.

All other factions are more or less underdogs against well played woodelves. Sometimes bretonia can be hard. If they got a good army composition.

Brets? Really? Can you explain?