Hey guys,

Just wanted to know how this worked exactly. I'm a little confused by the wording of the "Options" part of the profile. So if you decide to include Gildor in your army, does this allow you to upgrade Wood Elf Warriors into "Noldorian Exiles" which then lets you "adopt" them into Gildor's warband? Or do I have to buy a completely new captain for a Wood-Elf contingent, and then apply the extra points cost to that warband?

Cheers,

John

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You must buy a 2nd warband led by a captain (as they are from a different list) Then apply teh extra cost... and watch the captain get left behind.

I don't think anyone knows yet, still waiting to hear from GW through a FAQ. Personally I'd say upgrading a wood elf warband makes no sense in the canon, as Gildor's companions were not wood elves, and as noted the wood elf captain would get left behind. Instead, they are unarmoured high elves. Since there is no such profile, use the wood elf profile and models as proxies. War gear can be bows, elf blades, or normal spears.

That would make more sense, but as it is, I personally always take Thranduil, only upgrade my sword and spear types to exiles, then upgrade the archers to be Thranduil's guard. Works well, imo.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

This was what I was thinking as well. It seems like the wording of the "option" was intended to make offer an unarmoured elf option for the Eregion/Rivendell List, but that being said, it's hard to tell whether I can apply this buff to wood elves that are in other warbands as well. The potential combinations (if you are able to apply it to any wood elves, as indicated by the rules), means that you can get F5/+2 elves (when combining them with Thranduil's "Mirkwood Guard passive stat buff") that can all move 8".

I'll have to go into GW tomorrow and have a chat with them to see how far I can push the ruling.

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You could only give one or the other not both. Reason being both rules say that you can upgrade normal wood elf warriors to be noldorian exiles for gildor or guards for thranduil so once you give them one of the upgrades they are no longer regular wood elves because they become a new class so you can not give them the second upgrade.

Woah, Noldorian Exiles allows you to have infantry models that move 8"? Is there some negative aspect to this upgrade (expensive, can't wear armor, etc.)?

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God bless you!

Forth Eorlingas!

Exactly, wood elves can't wear armour.

It gives an element of tactical flexibility to your wood elves. But they are still as squishy as ever.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

The Black Numenorian options in Fallen Realms state specifically, "one of the following" as is one or the other. The two wood elf upgrade options do not state that. I would much prefer this interpretation to the one above.... what's the call?

The only reason why to wood elves don't have the "one of the following" is because it's hero dependant. If you upgrade a WE to a NE, you can't upgrade any further because he isn't a WE.

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A Noldorian Exile is still a Wood Elf, just with a stat upgrade. A Mumak remains a Mumak, even with multiple stat upgrades.

If it does not specifically say we can't (for whatever reason), then we can.

I think that's what's debatable. In the books the Noldor were certainly not wood elves. The only reason they made the rules that way is because the wood elf models are unarmoured. So do you go with the thematic interpretation, or the arbitrary technical interpretation?

LOME was so careful about theme. Warbands dumps theme for simplicity/sales (IMHO). I don't know why Gildor can only upgrade Wood Elves, instead of elves from his own army---perhaps to give some teeth to his squishy, unarmored cousins. It does make Wood Elves more attractive (more sales?)--but we pay for it in points: 13 points per model for a fully upgraded Wood Elf with bow & spear. It complicates things, having to bring him in from a different army: lowers how many WE bows I can have if Gildor brings any fellow High Elves, and costs a bundle in points if I bring him in independently. Those very complications might be among the reasons: further limit/balance the new WE elites.

No, when you upgrade a WE, they become for all intents and purposes, NE. When you upgrade a Mumak, it just becomes a Mumak with X upgrades. Same as when you are equiping a Haradrim, you can give them a bow or spear, which means they're still haradrim, or you can make them Warriors of Abhrakhan, which changes their name.

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"Leave Sauron to me."
If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, let me know.

Good point. So you are saying that the new title itself forbids an additional 'titled' upgrade. But additional 'titled' upgrades are clearly forbidden with Black Numenorians and Harad: ("Upgrade to one of the following...") Not so with WE. That implies (IMHO) that a rule is needed to forbid co-titles... In the absence of that rule, it is allowed.

If I were Thanduil, I'd find as many as those speedy NE wood elves as I could and recruit them into the Mirkwood Guard.

If it says upgrade to an Iron Hills Veteran, they aren't a Dwarf Warrior. They are an iron Hills Veteran.

The reason that there is a specific statement in some areas is becasue GW has always been inconsistent with their wording of things. Think of it this way - if that exception wasn;t there, would you allow both upgrades, despite them specifying that they are a new unit type?