Those devious skaven have done the unthinkable – they’ve broken into the Everspring Swathe and made off with a punnet of soulpods. Echoes of Doom is the next battle box for Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and it’s coming to pre-order this weekend.
Accompanied by a treacherous Deathmaster, this chittering horde of ratmen are eager to make good their escape and put that precious haul of spiritual essence to use in some nefarious scheme or other. Unfortunately, some short-sighted fools are opposing this great, perfect, and incredibly brilliant plan – and they have the wrath of the forest on their side.
This towering, tree-tentacled warrior is the Lady of Vines. She’s Alarielle’s seneschal and right-hand woman – literally. The Lady was born from the severed hand of the goddess back in the early days of the Realmgate Wars, when the Everqueen was flush with the summery powers of war. Don’t worry, hands grow back.*
Since then, the Lady of Vines has gone to war for the Sylvaneth time and again, holding true to Alarielle’s war aspect even when the Everqueen is overtaken by wintery melancholy. She’s slain the foulest of foes, and been cut down in turn – only to be regrown by her mother, taller and gnarlier, as inevitable as the passing of the seasons.**
In war, the Lady of Vines is a force of nature. Her martial song ensures the Forest Folk are Roused to Wrath, causing vengeful Dryads to sprout and bloom directly into the midst of battle. Once per game, you can use this ability by rolling a dice – on a 2+, you summon a fresh crop of Dryads from a suitable forest, ready to fight to the death.***
The Lady of Vines wields a truly deadly spear – named Kurnotheal’s Wrath, it was grown from a splinter of the weapon once wielded by the Sylvaneth’s fallen Hunter God. She’s an equally adept spellcaster, however – by her very nature, she’s overflowing with Alarielle’s own Ghyranite energies, and can sling a variety of deepwood incantations at her foes.
In particular, she can manifest the Aspect of the Everqueen, turning this overgrown Branchwraith into a beacon of divine glory. Casting this spell grants every SYLVANETH unit wholly within 12" a formidable ward of 5+, perfect for making already-resilient warriors like Kurnoth Hunters or a Spirit of Durthu even harder to fell.
Between impaling those who would desecrate the forests, summoning bloodthirsty bouquets of Dryads, and shielding her allies with magical wards, the Lady of Vines is a busy woman – luckily, her eponymous vines thrash about with a mind of their own. Now that’s multi-tasking!
In the combat phase, she can create a protective barrier out of her Writhing Vines, forcing foes to subtract 1 from hit rolls against her as their blows glance off iron-hard bark. Or if a vengeful mood takes her, she can instead use these barbed creepers to ensnare her enemies, adding 1 to her own hit rolls.
Truly, the Lady of Vines is a woman for all seasons – be it the burning wrath of summer or the biting inevitability of winter. And as Echoes of Doom is hitting pre-order this weekend, you’ll be able to field her in your own Sylvaneth armies very soon.
Battletome: Sylvaneth and Battletome: Skaven will be coming shortly after, both packed with new battle traits and a plethora of ways to play with armies covered in fur or foliage. As sure as the seasons, we’ll be taking a look at these on Warhammer Community.
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* Our medical experts inform us this is incorrect – most hands do not, in fact, grow back. Who knew?
** Being the daughter of a goddess has its perks.
*** This hasty act of horticulture even makes Nurgle's gardener Horticulous Slimux look slow.
**** Ethically sourced news, of course. No Dryads will be harmed.