You can upgrade, for 12pts, a Dryad into a Branchnymph but the only statistical improvement is +1 attack

Whats the point? for the same 12 points you may as well have another Dryad which has 2 attacks.

The maths doesnt add up. I cant see any benefit to having a Branchnymph

Well, there are obviously uses. For a start, any dryad after about the sixth won't be able to attack, so by getting a branchnymph you turn 2 useless attacks into one attack that can actually be used.

Obviously it depends on frontage and how many sides you are engaged, as well as how many dryads you have left (better to have 4 dryads = 8 attacks than 2 dryads anf a branch nymph = 7 attacks.)

But there's also the challenges. Either to protect a branchwraith, prevent a seriously killy lord destroying all your dryads, or just to make a combat more interesting.

For me though, there's one reason I don't take branchnymphs. 8 Dryads are 96pts. I can't stress how cool it is to have a unit like that at under 100pts. Adding a branchnymph ruins all that. :lol:

Still not convinced Xarhain, though your reasons are sound. But in real terms it is still 12 points for 1 attack and little else.

12 points would be better spent (IMO) on another Dryad, you get 2 attacks for your money and +1 to your unit strength.

As skirmishers, I cant really see much likely hood of challenges being set, they'll be plenty of Wood Elf characters around to see to that; seems the best way to use Dryads is as flanking power, not head-on.

I like your 8 to a unit reasoning, but with a box of 12, I'll probably just play them as a unit of 12, as there are other types of units that I want to have before buying more dryads.

The whole point is you don't want your Wood Elf characters taking those challenges, because with their shoddy armour, a lot of enemy heros will reduce them quite quickly into pink elfy paste. When you engage that unit of Grave Guard led by the Blood Dragon Vampire Count, far better that your Highborn eviscerates three wights with his greatsword and your Branchnymph takes the beating than to have your Highborn forced to decline the challenge and hide where he can't fight.

AFAIK elves can't join dryad units anyway (edit: before anyone says it, I am aware that a few kindreds can become forest spirits).

I think most champion upgrades are worth similar points to a trooper, usually for just +1 attack. Look at the Eternal guard's Eternal (or guardian, whatever the hell the champion is called). What's worse are the champions with nothing but +1BS such as Glade Guards / Riders.

The main reason to take these are to absorb / issue challenges, and to get extra attacks (if not all of your troops will fit in the front rank).

If those don't matter to you: the advantage is that he is targetted separately. If your opponents wipe out the rest of the unit and forget to target the champion, the champ can still strike back.

I'm not actually trying to commend the use of them, I don't think they're worth the points, but when you say you'd rather have 2 attacks, the point is: you can't. If, from a unit of 12, six dryads are already in combat, the only way you're going to be able to get more attacks is to add the nymph. Adding another dryad will just be another at the back of the queue.


I use 8 for a couple reasons. Firstly, I got 16 in the army box which is easiest to split into 2 units of 8. Secondly, as skirmishers, they don't get much benefit from extra numbers except to help with unit strength and hence fear breaking. Like I said, you can usually only get 5 or 6 into combat, so having more is IMO a waste, when you'd be half the way towards a second unit which is a lot more manoeverable and can be chucked into the same combat if you really want fear autobreak. (especially if you can grab a flank and have 20+ attacks from the two units.

If you want, next time you're ordering something from GWonline, get a dryad sprue. That's basically what I got - they just chucked an extra sprue into the army deal which gave me 4 more dryads.

Yep, that Box set is a bit sly. 12 models when a basic unit is 8+, means you have to buy another box set to have multiple units... 2 boxes gives you 3 x units of 8; would be better if the box had either 8 or 16 dryads in it, whereas 12 means you are kind of obligated to buy another box!

Thanks for your advice guys, Burps got a lot to learn

Exactly, just like the glade rider boxes. Less so with other heavy cavalry that can actually get rank bonus's, but really, who wants two ranks of fast cav?

Then you either have to but sprues (which I'm doing) or buy another whole box for two models, or fielding 3 fast cav units of 5, which is a bit pointless in anything 2k or less, especially when you got wild riders.

How do you go about just buying sprues?

Online store. Unfortunately, it's a while after release that they become available. :(