| “ | Agile and deadly in melee - an excellent first-response to impending threats. | „ |
Wildwood Rangers are a 
Wood Elves melee infantry unit introduced in Total War: Warhammer with Realm of The Wood Elves.
Recruitment[ | ]
Wood Elves
- Unlocked with: Forest Lookout or Temple of Ereth Khial
- Wargrove of Woe
- Unlocked with: Forest Lookout or Overgrown Temple of Ereth Khial
Description[ | ]
Athel Loren is not a safe place, even for the Elves. Even now, thousands of years on from the first Great Council, there are those forest spirits who resent the Elves' presence, and visit upon them whatever cruelties are in their power. Banished to the sinister south-eastern corner of Athel Loren known as the Wildwood, these dark spirits rail against the waystone fence that confines them and dream darkly of revenge on those who have occupied their home. The task of guarding the border between this shadowy prison and the rest of Athel Loren falls to the Wildwood Rangers. Theirs is an existence thoroughly at odds with the gaiety and splendour known by other Wood Elves, for just as the creatures of the Wildwood do not rest, nor can those who have sworn to keep them trammelled. The waystone fence is ever under attack, and it suffers disruption more often than any care to contemplate. Any breach, however small, brings with it the risk of carnage as the dark spirits slip loose from their bonds and wreak all manner of havoc in the forest beyond. The Rangers converge on such breaches within moments of their formation, holding back the tide of dark spirits long enough for Spellweavers to make the waystone barriers whole once again. Thus must the Rangers be ever-vigilant, so that their kinsfolk need not live in fear.
Attributes[ | ]
- Glaive Infantry
- ▲ Anti-Large: Anti-Large: Anti-large units have an advantage against targets that are at least as large as a horse. This advantage can be a damage bonus against large targets or an attack that focuses on a very small area. However, some units are simply better against large targets because their attacks are slow and easy to dodge by skilled melee combatants.
- ▲ Armour-Piercing: The damage of armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.
- ▲ Damage Dealer: This unit has a strong emphasis on dealing damage. If fighting it, make sure to take it out before it can get into firing or melee range.
- ▲ Forest Stalker: The Elves of Athel Loren gain bonuses to melee defence and accuracy while fighting within the forest.
armour-piercing weapons mostly ignores the armour of the target, making them the ideal choice against heavily-armoured enemies. They are often heavier and attack at a slower rate though, making them less efficient against poorly-armoured targets.Abilities[ | ]
Strategy[ | ]
Wildwood Rangers are a niche unit on the Wood Elves roster, they are heavy infantry in a faction that specializes in hit and run and archery tactics. As such, it is never a good idea to bring more than one or two Rangers in an army (unless it's campaign of course). They are a melee counter to the heavier infantry an opponent can bring like Black Guard, Black Orcs, etc. They are also decent against large armored targets, so they are a bit of a generalist unit against armored targets. Because they're of relatively low armor, it's best to not ask them to hold their own against a dangerous enemy for too long when ranged support could help them.
Despite being a swordmaster type unit, their anti-large bonus suggests using them similarly to halberds as a backfield interceptor for any enemy cavalry that threaten to flank your archers. They will kill faster than halberds but also not hold as long. For killing monstrous infantry, giants, dragons, and other large priority targets, usually the player's archers will cover this niche more efficiently than dedicated anti-large DPS infantry due to easy targeting/line-of-sight for ranged units against large targets.
If the player wishes to include a Wildwood Ranger unit and use it most effectively, the Regiment of Renown version (the Wardens of Cythral) which possess much better synergy with Wood Elf armies should be considered. They have armor sundering which will benefit the damage of supporting Glade Guard archers (whose weakness is lack of AP) as well as having silver shields to survive missile damage much better (55%).
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