Wanderers: tactics, lore, and more!

In this post I’ll be covering the Wanderers. I’ll be going over some over the lore, tactics, and why I started collecting this faction. I’ll start with the lore.

To be honest, this faction didn’t have much in the way of lore when I first got into Age of Sigmar. They had maybe a paragraph in the Grand Alliance: Order Warscroll Book. Thankfully since the launch of 2nd Edition; they have seen some flushing out.

In the core book we get a more detailed version of why they left the realm of life. The Nurgle invasion was nigh unstoppable. Nurgle crushes the combined resistance of the Sylvaneth, Free Peoples, and Wanderers on countless fronts. Throughout the conquest of Ghyran, the Wanderers discuss abandoning the realm to it’s fate unbeknownst to the Sylvaneth and Free Peoples.

The Wanderers eventually leave the Ghyran after several lost battles through the realm gate the Twining Portal and head for Azyr. Which doesn’t make the Sylvaneth very happy. Basically they hate the Wanderers for ditching them at their darkest hour.

After the Stormcast Eternals arrive in Ghyran and turn the tide; the free cities are forged, and the Wanderers return. Well mainly to the Free Cities located there. The most interesting one to me that they return to is Greywater Fastness.

Greywater Fastness is a massive city of industry, gun powder, cannons, etc. Basically the Free People    who live here upset Alarielle with their pollution and cutting down of trees. So she retaliates and sends a bunch of Sylvaneth to besiege the city. Killing anyone who ventures into the polluted forest.
Eventually there’s a truce made and the city is allowed to continue on. However if people venture too far in the forest the Sylvaneth still kill them.

I find this to be an awesome setting for narrative  play. Since the Wanderers inhabit the polluted forest   around the city; as well as the Sylvaneth. Two forces of nature fighting in the chronic wastes of industry. One trying to redeem itself for its betrayal. The other wanting to stomp them out for their betrayal.

I started collecting this faction mainly because they were the faction I would have played in Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Being from Montana, I love the idea of an army living in the woods. Striking from trees only to vanish without a trace.

Tactics:

I don’t have every unit in this faction’s range, but I’ll cover what I do have.

Nomad Prince: (Pictured above.)

This guy is a mix of support character and beat stick. His command ability allows all Wanderers units within 8” of him to reroll hit rolls of 1.

He has a nasty spear that hits on a 3+ ,wounds on a 3+, rend-1 dealing out two damage. Did I mention he has 4 attacks? His command ability also affects him which is handy if you whiff your hit rolls.

His shield allows him to reroll all failed saves.

His hunting hawk is nice against Monsters. Basically if your target fails his save he is at minus one to hit. And with that affirmationed spear, you’ll take your opponent’s monster down a peg or two.

Spellweaver:

Spellweaver 

All in all a great support character/wizard.

You bring her in A Wanderers army for 2 reasons. Ancient Blessings and Blessing of life.

Ancient Blessings: Basically you get to automatically unbind one spell per game. Powerful!

Blessing of life allows you to heal D3 slain models back to a unit. Perfect for hard to budge Eternal Guard, or for Keeping your Glade Guard unit above 20+.

She can also cast the generic spells, but why bother?

Eternal Guard:

These guys become a battleline unit if you have the Wanderers alligance. They’re kinda Meh at first glance with 1 attack with a 4+ to hit, 4+ to wound, and a 5+ save. However when you look closer you see why this unit shines.

This unit’s unique ability is called fortress of boughs. Which means they can’t move until the next hero phase. However they get+1 to hit, wound, and save. 

Their shields allow them to reroll ones. If they’re in cover they reroll ones and twos. If they used fortress of boughs. Good luck killing them. If you do lose some models. Just use blessing of life from your spellweaver to get those hard to kill models back!

This is a great defensive unit for holding your back line objectives. Especially with a spellweaver supporting them.

Last but not least, my favorite unit in the Wanderers army. Glade Guard.

This unit is a strong shooting unit in groups of 20-30. If you have 20+ dudes your hitting on 3s instead of 4s. You’ll always wound on 4s doing 1 damage unless you use their special arrows called Arcane Bodkins. Which do -3 rend one per game. In tandem with the nomand Prince giving you reroll hit rolls of 1. You’ll trash whatever unit you’re shooting at.

That’s all I have for now on this faction,

Until next time.

-Ben