Way do people only use 8 dryads? i would think it would be better to use a big squad and so you out number and cause fear and they auto flee. so why only 8??

Well having a small unit of 8 can be beneficial, as it is under 100 points, which is hard to find with wood elf units. Also some people may use them as support units, not for the main combat units. Also your opponents will generally look over a small unit of dryads, allowing them to make combat with thier full numbers.

I myself use them in groups of 10-12, as they tend to last longer.

also having too big units has the downside that not everybody is getting to fight and since they are skirmishers they dont get rank bonus anyway so. small units are cheap and effective. take a bit bigger if you expect to face shooting casualties.

I believe that the dryad box allows you to make 16 Dryads, if you want smaller units than this without wasting models, two units of 8 is just dandy and allows more manouverability. :D

Also, as Wilko said, most people tend to overlook units of eight as they aren't worth the hassle and being immune to pshycology is helpful as well. They still can pack a punch on certain units.

Hope I helped.

Actually there are only 12 dyrads in each box set. Which is not that good, but I guess if you buy two boxes, you can make 3 units of 8. ^_^

Or you could order another sprue. I swear by 8 strong dryad units, and I'm just lucky that the army deal set came with a box and an extra sprue.

There's nothing a unit of 16 can do that 2 units of eight cant do better.

Units of nine, for the simple reason that the most common unit in a tournament situation is beast herds, and nine wide forces the beastmen to a)put more ungor in combat, and b)hopefully decline them of a rank.

against 8 dryads a beastherd would be deployed 10 wide, provided that all 8 dryads make it into combat off course ;)

but if you have 20 you will almost always out numer and if you win in combat they auto flee and that wont happen if you only take 8.

That's not an even test. You're comparing a unit of 20 to a unit of 8?

Just to show what I mean, let's imagine we're talking about a unit of 16 dryads, enough to outnumber most units once you've scored some kills. For the same points, I'll take 2 units of 8.

This gives my more manoeverability, allowing my units to split up, encircle the enemy if needed, and generally be more versatile. Your argument is that having the numbers means you can autobreak. Fair enough, but what's stopping me sending both my units of dryads in? In the front if necessary? There you go, there's the numbers you crave.

With an immune to psych unit that skirmishes (only two reasons you want bigger units are combating panic, and gaining ranks) there is absolutely nothing a unit of 16 can do that 2 of 8 can't do better. Or a unit of 20 and two units of 10.

Split them up.

I think that sums it up perfectly: immune to panic, can't claim a rank bonus, so no reason to have big units.