Wardens of Cythral (Wildwood Rangers)

Wardens of Cythral are a Wood Elves Regiment of Renown melee infantry unit. Centuries of defending the forest against the malevolent spirits of the Wildwood has gifted them an unparalleled vigilance.

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

 * ↑ 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.



Abilities

 * Guardian of the Wildwood


 * Sunder Armour (Contact Effect)

Strategy
Wardens of Cythral are the best anti-large infantry on the Wood Elf roster. They can go toe to toe with most other elite infantry as well with their armour sundering attacks. They gain silver shields, stalk, a bonus vs. large, and charge defence vs. large over the normal Wildwood rangers. This makes them a more durable unit and more suited to hunting large targets. They are very expensive and the rest of your army should be more melee centered to better support them and capitalize on their capabilities. Fighting in forests to benefit from the Guardian of the Wildwood ability is always preferred.

Trivia

 * Cythral was a faction in The Season of Revelation campaign.