“The forest speaks… and when it does, it speaks with arrow, fang, and fury.”
Deep within the ancient, mist-shrouded forest of Athel Loren, an age-old power stirs. Trees whisper secrets in a forgotten tongue, spirits watch with glowing eyes, and arrows strike from nowhere. These are not the highborn elves of gleaming spires, nor the dark exiles of the underworld, these are the Asrai, the Wood Elves, guardians of the natural world and the living embodiment of wild magic.
To collect the Wood Elves is to command a force that dances between beauty and brutality, silence and storm. They are elusive, deadly, and utterly unbound by conventional warfare. If you like hit-and-run tactics, master archery, and the wrath of nature itself, the Wood Elves might just be your perfect army.
An Ancient Covenant: The History of the Asrai
The Wood Elves are descendants of the High Elves who settled in the Old World during the age of colonisation. When the Elven homeland of Ulthuan fell into civil war, many of these settlers remained behind, choosing not the path of exile or return, but instead forging a new destiny among the ancient trees of Athel Loren.
There, they encountered the forest’s spirits, primal entities of immense power, and struck a pact. In exchange for protection and communion, the elves became guardians of the forest, abandoning the ambitions of their kin for a wilder, more sacred path. Over time, they became something new, still Elves, but changed by centuries of living within a sentient woodland steeped in magic.
Now, the Wood Elves strike only when the balance of Athel Loren is threatened. When they march to war, they do so not with armies of conquest, but as an elemental force. They are swift, silent, and merciless.
Play Style: Precision, Speed, and Ambush
Playing the Wood Elves is like commanding a symphony of shadows and leaves. They’re not about brute strength or sustained combat. They’re about controlling the battlefield, picking their moments, and vanishing before the enemy can respond.
• Superior Ranged Units: Wood Elves have the best archers in the game. They are fast, accurate, and able to fire on the move.
• Guerrilla Warfare: Hit hard, then disappear into the forest. Most of your units have Skirmish, Forest Strider, or Ambush rules.
• Fast and Agile: Glade Riders, Warhawk Riders, and Wild Riders give you unmatched mobility.
• Nature’s Wrath: Treemen and Dryads hit hard in melee, turning defense into destruction.
• Magical Versatility: Spellcasters draw on the Lore of Athel Loren and other lores, controlling the battlefield and empowering your forces.
This is an army for generals who like to outmaneuver and outthink their opponents. Striking at the right place at the right time, then fading like mist.
Key Units: The Forest’s Arsenal
Wood Elves don’t field ranks of heavy infantry or war machines. Instead, they use a flexible, elite force of specialists and spirits:
• Glade Guard: Your core archers. They are beautifully deadly, especially with enchanted arrows that pierce armor or ignite foes.
• Waywatchers: Elite snipers who can fire multiple arrows or ignore armor entirely. Perfect assassins.
• Eternal Guard: The closest thing to a frontline infantry. They are disciplined, spear-wielding defenders of the forest heart.
• Wild Riders: Frenzied cavalry blessed by forest spirits, devastating on the charge and excellent flankers.
• Warhawk Riders and Great Eagles: Aerial units that harass and snipe from above.
• Treemen and Treekin: Towering forest spirits. They are slow but devastating in melee.
• Dryads: Agile and aggressive tree-spirits that rip apart enemy flanks.
• Forest Dragons and Stags: Mounts for your lords and heroes. They symbolic of the Wood Elves’ bond with nature’s fury.
No death balls. No gun lines. Just fast, focused fury in the name of the forest.
Legendary Characters of the Asrai
Orion – King in the Woods
Chosen of the god Kurnous, Orion is not merely a leader, he is the living avatar of the wild hunt. Each spring, he is reborn beneath the Oak of Ages, leading the Wild Hunt to purge intruders from Athel Loren. Armed with the Spear of Kurnous and accompanied by his faithful hounds, he is a primal force of destruction.
Ariel – Queen of the Wood
The spiritual heart of Athel Loren and consort to Orion, Ariel is a being of immense magical power and wisdom. She bridges the world of elves and forest spirits, wielding potent spells that heal, protect, and punish in equal measure. Her presence is like the forest itself, serene, ageless, and deadly.
Durthu – Ancient Treeman of Wrath
Older than empires, Durthu is a Treeman Lord consumed by the rage of watching the world desecrate nature. Once peaceful, now furious, he is a walking fortress of bark, vengeance, and ruinous magic. If you want nature’s fury given form, Durthu delivers it with each thunderous step.
Naestra and Arahan – The Sisters of Twilight
One soul split between two bodies. Naestra is serene and contemplative, Arahan is wild and bloodthirsty. They are archers, warriors, and mystics all in one. A perfect embodiment of the Wood Elves’ duality.
Why Collect the Wood Elves?
The Wood Elves are an army like no other. Collecting them is like stepping into an enchanted realm of eternal twilight and hidden danger. Whether it’s the elegant grace of their archers, the primal fury of their spirits, or the mythic resonance of their leaders, every model tells a story older than most kingdoms.
For hobbyists, they offer intricate details, stunning nature-inspired sculpts, and opportunities for rich, ethereal basing. For generals, they reward finesse, cunning, and strategic mastery. And for storytellers, they offer the mystery, magic, and majesty of an ancient forest defending itself from a dying world.
“We are the forest’s wrath. We strike without warning, vanish without trace, and leave only silence… and ruin.”
So string your bow, paint your war paint, and listen to the whisper of the leaves. The Wild Hunt is calling and the forest remembers.
(Warhammer Fantasy) Faction Guide: Wood Elves
