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I'm still stuck on, but have finally narrowed down to 3 factions on which I'd like to play in AoS.

Seraphon - I bought a bunch of these back when I was a kid and used acryllic brushes and crappy paint. Fond memories of saurons and kroxigor.

Skaven - One of the armies I've been interested in. I've collected and sold models for years but never played them. I love the chaos feel, in that they have 4 clans and can mix and match. But the models are so old and outdated. One of the assassin models has been around since I was a kid and bought my first kits....

Sylvaneth - I really like the models and kinda like the idea behind the army.

All in all, I've seriously underestimated the AoS storyline and it now has my attention. The game has a whole "Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and 4" feel to it. So could anyone give me a run down of any of the armies and how they play? What are their strengths and cons? Not just the 3 I listed, I'm always open to more ideas. You don't have to mention them all, but I'd love as much information as I can please. And thanks ahead of time!

What is the context of your interest?

Are you interested in story?

Are you interested in dominating the world tournament circuit?

Are you primarily going to be playing for fun?

auticus wrote:
What is the context of your interest?

Are you interested in story?

Are you interested in dominating the world tournament circuit?

Are you primarily going to be playing for fun?

Good questions.

- I love a good story.

- I dont care about tournament results really. I dont mind losing a close game, but I dont want to get run over, because then why play?

- I like to have fun playing, building, and painting.

- I do tend to like armies with optons, usually mobile, kinda glass cannon. I love big hits. Things that get players excited and make your opponents cringe. I'm not afraid of complicated armies either.

- I really love synergy betwen units in an army.

Seraphon - some of the strongest magic in the game. Will resume also being able to have the strongest summoning in the game. One of the most annoying units in the game in the bastilladon coupled with mystic shield and the ability to summon more of them makes a great objective holder.

Skaven - mostly horde army though access to gross stormfiends that are also for whatever reason battleline. Wonky magic. Greater demons. Four different clans.

Sylvaneth - can grow woods all over the table, good ranged shooting, the ability to teleport around the table in the woods you are growing all over the table. Powerful life magic forthcomintg.

So far Sylvaneth is standing out to me the most. I'm reading the community articles on them and it sounds like they have a lot of synergy with each other. Plus the ability to make terrain and change the battlefield sounds really good. Plus bonus! I could be quoting "The Ents go to war!" every round I smash something....

Of the three you have chosen, the sylvaneth are the only one with a modern army book so yeah they have the most synergy.

Seraphon and Skaven don't have a modern book yet so are carry over from whfb.

auticus wrote:
Of the three you have chosen, the sylvaneth are the only one with a modern army book so yeah they have the most synergy.

Seraphon and Skaven don't have a modern book yet so are carry over from whfb.

Good lord, how long has it been since they got an update? o.O

Sylvaneth were the first to get a "modern book". There were armies before that that got an AOS book, but those books lacked the spells and artifacts, etc... (which is what I define as modern book).

Most of the new modern books are all built around the ccg/net decking concepts of synergy amongst pieces.

When skaven and seraphon ever get a modern book I will expect them to receive the same treatment (seraphon got a book, but it was not modern, and skaven got clan pestilence, which also was not modern)

And that was in 2016 sometime.

Having played Sylvaneth, yes, they have a high degree of synergy, and require you to capitalize on it because they're priced with the assumption that you will.

Off the top of my head, dryads are generally mediocre battleline but make up for it an earn their points back through benefits they gain from being in large units and being in proximity to wyldwoods (said benefits are listed in different locations in the book so it can be a bit rough to track them down, be careful!), spite revenants have an aura of their own, but also have an aura that gives terrain pieces auras for stacking battleshock debuffs, the right combinations of artifacts and abilities can make nigh-invulnerable treelord heroes or wizards with massive nova attacks with huge ranges.

Also, their book straddles the line between old and new Battletome paradigms so there's some stuff it does regarding detachments and battalions you don't really see elsewhere: they have battalions with battalions as part of their component pieces instead of subfactions, and odd duck benefits you may miss on your first read through (like artefacts being limited to sylvaneth heroes but spells being available to wizards in sylvaneth battalions).

As a consequence to that, be sure to read up on the FAQs and errata, even a lot of the generic FAQ stuff is actually meant to address some unexpected synergy a sylvaneth player found.

Playing against them, my main impression on Seraphon is they have a very strong anti-caster game.

Should I get two Sylvaneth start collecting boxes? Or is that not the best I can do? Does the Treelord come with the parts to make an ancient and Duruth?

The Treelord, ancient and durthu all come from the same kit.