Sylvan Court
Home ground · ForestElusive wardens of the deep woods
“The Deepwood does not forgive. Return to the shadows, or feed them.”
Patient, territorial, and merciless to intruders. The Court speaks in rustling leaves and distant hawk cries; its voice is calm, but its words are final.
Lore
The Sylvan Court does not march—it flows. Between the black trunks of the Deepwood, where sunlight fractures into emerald shards, our Thornscouts move like shadows cast by wind. Their bows whisper before blades can sing, and their volleys strike from the gloom before the enemy knows they are hunted. A single Forest tile is home; here, the Court fights with the weight of roots beneath its feet, +1 strength to every blow.
Grove Wardens are the iron in the bark. Four strength, one leadership—enough to steady a stack when the battle turns. They do not charge; they endure. Their axes bite deep, and their presence stiffens the resolve of lesser kin. On Hills or in the Forest, they are unshaken, moving where others falter, their steps light despite their bulk (2 movement cost to enter Forest, not the usual 3).
Bough Ancients are the first and last word of the Court. Five strength, two health, two leadership—they do not break. Their branches strike before the enemy can raise a shield, First Strike landing unanswered. They do not regrow; they were never cut. Their wounds are slow to heal, but their patience is older than kingdoms. In the Forest, they are unstoppable.
The Thornhurler is no siege engine of stone and fire. It is a living vine, coiled and waiting. When cities rise against the Court, it unspools, its barbed tendrils canceling the Wall bonus with a single, silent pull. It moves where others cannot (2 cost to enter Forest), and its strength is not in range, but in the slow, inevitable choke of roots around stone.
Strategy
Play the Forest. Your units move swiftly there (2 cost to enter, not 3), and the whole side gains +1 strength on home ground. Open with Thornscouts and Hawks—Ranged volleys soften foes before melee begins. Stagrider cavalry harries on Plains (1.5 cost), but falters in the trees (4 cost). Bough Ancients anchor the line: First Strike disrupts charges, and their 5 strength and 2 HP make them durable. Grove Wardens hold the center, their leadership steadying the stack. Thornhurlers break city Walls without a single shot fired. Avoid Marsh—no favored bonus, and movement slows (4 cost).
Roster
The six Sylvan Courtunits, in roster order. Stats are pulled straight from the engine, so they match the live game — see each unit's full entry in the compendium.
Thornscouts vanish into the undergrowth. Their arrows strike from the gloom before the enemy sees the bow.
Tactics · Ranged volley opens every fight. 3 strength, 10 movement—fast enough to scout, deadly enough to wound. Costs 2 to enter Forest (not 3).
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3)
Grove Wardens are the Court’s unyielding core. Their axes do not falter, and their presence steadies the line.
Tactics · 4 strength, 1 leadership. No tricks—just endurance. Moves swiftly through Forest (2 cost), and favors Hills too.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3)
Stagrider cavalry flows across open ground. On Plains, they are swift (1.5 cost); in the Forest, they stumble (4 cost).
Tactics · 4 strength, 13 movement. Harass on open tiles, but avoid the trees—slowed where others are swift.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Plains (1.5 vs 2) · Slowed in Forest (4 vs 3)
Bough Ancients strike first. Their branches lash before the enemy can raise a shield, and their wounds do not heal quickly—but they do not break.
Tactics · 5 strength, 2 HP, 2 leadership. First Strike lands unanswered. Costs 2 to enter Forest (not 3).
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3)
Hawks of the Court ride the wind. Their talons strike from above, and no terrain bars their path—even Mountains cost 2 to cross.
Tactics · 4 strength, 14 movement, Ranged. Crosses Water and Marsh (2 cost), but no favored terrain bonus.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3) · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (2 to enter) · Crosses Water others cannot (2 to enter) · Moves swiftly through Marsh (2 vs 4)
The Thornhurler is the Court’s answer to stone. It does not bombard—it uncoils, canceling Walls with a single, silent pull.
Tactics · 4 strength, 7 movement. Siege role cancels city Walls. Moves swiftly through Forest (2 cost).
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3)
Stat lines
| Unit | Str | Mv | HP | Cost | Turns | Upkeep | Leadership | Favored | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ThornscoutInfantry | 3 | 10 | 1 | 56g | 1 | 1 | — | Forest | Ranged |
| Grove WardenHeavy | 4 | 9 | 1 | 80g | 2 | 2 | +1 | Forest, Hills | — |
| StagriderCavalry | 4 | 13 | 1 | 75g | 2 | 2 | — | Forest, Plains | — |
| Bough AncientElite | 5 | 8 | 2 | 160g | 3 | 4 | +2 | Forest | First Strike |
| Hawk of the CourtFlyer | 4 | 14 | 1 | 120g | 2 | 3 | — | — | Ranged |
| ThornhurlerSiege | 4 | 7 | 1 | 95g | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |