Currently I have the following Wood Elf models (Galadhrim faction).

- 16 Wood Elf w/ bows
- 16 Wood Elf w/ elf blades
- 16 Wood Elf w/ spears
- 1 Wood Elf w/ banner
- 2 Wood Elf sentinels
- 1 Wood Elf captain
- Haldir (Woodland version)
- Legolas (Sold my mounted version )
- Galadriel
- Thranduil
- Gildor Inglorion (optional, since he can take Wood Elves)

I want to keep this a pure LOTR wood elf army list, so no Galadhrim Elves. What would be a decent list to make from these models for a 500 point game?

Is the upgrade from Thranduil for Wood elves worth it for +2 shoot value?
What about the potential upgrade from Gildor for extended movement?

Moreover, what are the general tactics used for a LOTR wood elf army?

Yeah definitely! You've got plenty of stuff to make a great list.

Wood elves are pretty simple but also some subtle nuances. The lists are pretty straight forward, take the best couple of heroes and fill out as many warbands as you can take with as many basic elves with as many bows and as many spears as you can take.
I think best heroes are probably Thranduil, Legolas and Galadriel, I'd probably take Legolas and Thranduil first at say 500-600 point and then adding Galadriel at 700 when you can take 3-4 warbands. Haldir's good too just not quite as good as Legolas.
The basic wood elf profile is awesome, they're cheap and they have a good shoot value and a great fight value. Bows are awesome of course and so are the spears. They allow you to parry, shield, which with the elves high fight value against almost all troops and many heroes means you can be rolling two dice to win a fight with one elf, which if you have the higher fight value means you can have a good chance to either roll that 6 or with the tie. Which is fantastic out of a model that costs less then 10 points. Take as many elves as you can and give as many of them spears and bows as possible. At 500 point that's probably around 18-26 depends on which heroes you take and how many warbands you get in.

I wouldn't bother to take the extra shoot value of the mirkwood guard, I probably wouldn't take the movement upgrade either, although especially at 500-600 Gildor himself could be worth an inclusion for that immobilize.

The tactics revolve around hiding in woods, setting up as far away from the enemy and or objectives as possible so you can shoot for as many turns as possible and thin out your opponents forces, if you can be in woodland terrain all the better. Once the lines clash you want to pick fights where you can gang up with a couple elves and a hero in on one or two of their troops where you are very likely to win that fight and have the rest the elves parry and roll two dice and just hold the line against all the fights where you're out numbered or even if its a one on one I often find it's better to to shield and win the fights so you don't lose an elf. Since they have such low defense if an elf loses a fight its more likely then not to die and because as elves you'll often be out numbered, goblins or gondor could take upwards of 30-40, so you can afford to drop elves early on in a game. So I will often shield will close to all of my elves and just win a couple fights at a time with my heroes or where you can get get really good fights. It's very much a war of attrition, they'll smash into you and you just parry and hold the line and trust of rolling well enough to win with your fight value while chipping away first with your shooting, then once the fights start with your heroes or where you can likely win a fight.
The last thing I think is worth mentioning that I think Thranduil is the best of the wood elf heroes because of the woodland crown. The aura of dismay, giving all elves within 6 in of thranduil get terror, basically means unless you're playing against an army with fury or a good army with reasonable courage, which in all fairness you often will be, but it's very hard for them to get in on you allow you to continue to shoot for many turns after you normally would be, especially if you can be in woods But another problem elves often have is actually getting in and killing models when they do win fights, but with the crown's nature's wrath, you can get a big knock down where you can get a couple of turns to try to get in and with your double rolls to wound while their knocked down. Also great against cavalry armies. You just have to be careful to try to maneuver so there isn't a hero that can attempt to resist it.

I think wood elves are super fun, definitely one of my favorite armies, both theme wise and play style very fun. You'll struggle against anything D6 or higher, or armies like Harad that can match you in shooting you'll have to call heroic shoots to get you shots off first and hope to win that war of attrition.

Hope that helps!

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Cheers,

P

Thanks for the elaborate response! What about Elven blades, are they worth picking up?

Totally yeah! I think're they're really fun and one of the only armies I actually bothered to learn how to play since it takes a little finesse.

I think the blades are pretty bad, which is why the new Thranduil's halls is so bad because you have to take them so you're basically paying an extra point per elf for a pretty meh equipment. It is great to have them but since you're relying on your fight value to win and you'll likely lose an elf if you lose a fight getting minus one to your dice roll feeeels really bad. Sometimes you'll need to gang up with them and go two handed to crack through dwarves you something but I'd never take more then a couple per warband. They're a good way to fill out those last couple points but I always tend to think trying to get a banner, a sentinel or guards of the galadrim court or two. Those are great too.

Elves just aren't great against heavy armor and you're pretty much gonna need your heroes to consistently kill them.

You usually want to just try to break your enemy by killing off all their squishier stuff and just shield and stall out against the tough stuff where ever possible.

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Cheers,

P

So I could just pick up some wood elves without their Elves blade, but just with no gear? Since every model is considered to have a handweapon.

Yeah, I mean give everybody a spear if possible and you don't have the points for a spear or the bow count left to add another bow yeah just take with a hand weapon. If you're at like 498 point by all means throw two blades in there, they are good just rarely feel worth the point.

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Cheers,

P