'Weaver protection.

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mabelode
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'Weaver protection.

Post by mabelode »

Just as I go mage hunting with varying degrees of success, my opponents target my 'Weaver at every possible opportunity. I've tried mounting him on a steed and an eagle for manouverability but the best result for survivability I get is hiding him in/near a wood. (If there's only one wood and I'm Treesinging then I have to find other terrain to hide behind). Even then he attracts a far bit of shooting and the obligatory magic missile when available to my opponent.
I generally kit him out as Lvl 4, Calingors, Scroll, Scroll and Scroll and sometimes Lvl 4, WoWe and Scroll (at 2250pts). If I use the first set up, I don't take a Singer or Branchy, but have taken a Branchy with the second.
What I'm considering is whether either Glamourweave or Briarsheath are viable items for protection, in view of both set ups, realising that either item will change the way I'll have to set up the Weaver (I can fit Briarsheath onto the second option). In particular, has anyone ever armoured up their Weaver/Singer for protection?
Any other items worth considering?
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by The Golden Arrow »

You can't take briarsheath as it is a magical armour. I think protection items aren't worth it on the weaver, the best way to protect her is in the middle of a wood otherwise I would stick her in a wardancer unit.
We've all heard of ninja horses and wild rider horses are much better than normal horses so they must be super ninjas......right?


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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by ArchMagosAlchemys »

It is possible that you are playing with too little terrain for the size of your army (or your table is too small), While I often played with 0 or 1 wood on the table (0 'cause no free wood either if not Pitched Battle), there are many other features you can use. Buildings blok LoS, so a village or a farmstead can provide plenty of cover, as can difficult, rocky, terrain, like crags and steep ridges, failing that, there are hills of all sorts. If you have a spellsinger and expect them to be hunted, choose appropriate terrain pieces and place them in udeful places. If you are playing on the 'Steppes of Russia' (flat and open) then hide behind your units. Dryads are especially good for this because they will not run away.
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by KidA »

Smallish (6-strong) Wardancer unit as your bodyguard and to give you ItP, stick them all in a wood and pick Beast lore, since most spells don't require LoS.
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Herald »

The Golden Arrow wrote:You can't take briarsheath as it is a magical armour. I think protection items aren't worth it on the weaver, the best way to protect her is in the middle of a wood otherwise I would stick her in a wardancer unit.
As an old D&D player, I've always taken this for granted, but I haven't actually seen it stated anywhere in neither AB nor BRB. Anyone?
Other than that I just want to add to the other opinions here that your weavers magic allowance should be filled with items that play to her strengths, ie arcane items (mainly WoWE and scrolls). :)
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by The Golden Arrow »

As an old D&D player, I've always taken this for granted, but I haven't actually seen it stated anywhere in neither AB nor BRB. Anyone?
It says that a model is only allowed to take magical armour if it can already take mundane armour (and only magical shields if they can take mundane ones) so wizards can usually not take magic armour as they cannot take mundane armour.
We've all heard of ninja horses and wild rider horses are much better than normal horses so they must be super ninjas......right?


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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Shankey »

I find with a horse, she has all the maneuverability she needs to stay out of sight. Late game usually sees her following my opponents slowest unit around pelting them with insults and the odd arrow. Between the HoDA, some magic, and all of our arrows, we should be able to take out most shooting threats to our wizards, and if an enemy steps out of his unit to try to blast her, well, they're bird food. :ninja:
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by KidA »

Shankey wrote:I find with a horse, she has all the maneuverability she needs to stay out of sight.
True, but the horse means she's unable to join most of the units where she would actually get protection as well as some form of immunity to luck factor (psychology tests). You won't get protected a lot in a GG unit and sticking her in GRs borders with suicide.

True, she can be on her own, but IMO there is just way too much effects (fancy shooting, magic and odd terror and panic tests) and I think she's actually safer (or has more options to be safer) when on foot. Not to mention that being on foot makes her a potential target of ever popular Bear's Anger :sexy: .
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by mabelode »

Thanks for the feedback all :)
My only reservation with the Wardancer bodyguard is that I select them for CC, and would be a litle hesitant to put them in if the Weaver was in the unit as well as risking him/her being challenged out.
As a side note: I notice most refer to the Weaver/Singer as a she, no doubt in reference to the AB stating that females tend to be stronger in magic due to Ariel, yet the GW model to me is most definitely a he (or the ugliest elf-maiden in existance).
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Tethlis »

There are a few models used to represent Wood Elf magic casters, and two of them are female. Many people used the whole range of Wood Elf magic users as either Singers or Weavers, based on their personal preference.

I agree that either Wardancers or alone in the woods are both ideal choices for protection. Glade Guard are often a fine choice, especially if they're not going to be pressured too much, but are obviously a risk. Having the character on her own is also a risk, since some magic items and spell effects target an area rather than a specific model to inflict damage. I've definitely lost casters to irresistibly-cast Comets of Cassandora, and that's never much fun. Taking Wardancers to provide early-game protection, then ducking her into Glade Guard or into woods for late-game protection, usually works well.
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Brumaz »

I put my Spellweaver on a unicorn.
while it doesnt seem a popular choice, I have a great unicorn model, and the MR(2) is really handy, as is the 5+ ward from being in glamouweave kindred. Any shots are also randomised, so odds are if she gets into trouble the steed will drop first. The only time she has been dropped was from a devastating miscast :lol:
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Nevermore »

How about placing her in a unit of waywatchers? It can be viable against some armies...
if the opponent's army isn't magic oriented you have extra protection for being shot at... (although this would become primary target, so be careful who has line of sight to it); if it is magic oriented your anti magic is to be spent here...
this way she has line of sight for the spells that require it...
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by KidA »

Nevermore wrote:How about placing her in a unit of waywatchers? It can be viable against some armies...
if the opponent's army isn't magic oriented you have extra protection for being shot at... (although this would become primary target, so be careful who has line of sight to it); if it is magic oriented your anti magic is to be spent here...
this way she has line of sight for the spells that require it...
The problem is that you can't scout her with Waywatchers, which would mean that you either don't use WWs special deployment or your Weaver has to somehow reach WWs during the game.

In short, not very viable. :D
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Gildesh »

KidA wrote:
Nevermore wrote:Weaver has to somehow reach WWs during the game.

In short, not very viable. :D
quite easily done with the moonstone
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by KidA »

Gildesh wrote:
KidA wrote:
Nevermore wrote:Weaver has to somehow reach WWs during the game.

In short, not very viable. :D
quite easily done with the moonstone
True, should you have two forests, one of which is suitable for WW deployment and another one in or near your deployment zone (not all games allow for extra forest).

However, your general/most expensive and very important but fragile character end up in a Ld8 (now 9) which is still very vulnerable to any kind of psychology and is still a T3 without any kind of protection. And WWs are prone to being dealt with as they are expensive and a thorn in your opponent's side. Putting another 300+ pts in said unit will only mean a more prompt demise of that unit.
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Unendil »

Lately I have been putting my magic users in a unit of scouts, I have a unit of waywatchers to do the serious scouting, so this means I am deploying my scouts in my deployment zone, but it also means my magic users have a 360 LOS and are pretty mobile...I have to say this tactic has been working...I call it the Arahain Bodyguard.
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by Nevermore »

not necesserily, all that it means is that they will get extra attention, and that protects the rest of your army...

all in all, yes that can be very difficult, but they are not without the help of the rest of your army...

but they don't even need to be out of your deployment zone at the beginning of the game to be useful...

but this really dictates the style of play...
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Re: 'Weaver protection.

Post by The Virgin Forest »

I usually let my casters hang out with glade guards at the beginning of the game. This makes a better target of my glade guards for my opponent, as their points value is increased, and serves to bait the opponent towards the glade guards. When things get too hot, they usually part ways and the singer/weaver finds some shrubbery to hide in.

I wouldn't waste points on items to make the caster herself resilient, as her job is primarily to support the army. And wood elf characters aren't known for their resilience anyway ;)
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