Dice Dogs painting challenge: Getting Started

For the Dice Dogs painting challenge project, I decided to do my Wood Elves, as that's the project that's been simmering for the longest. I've been wanting to do a winter themed Wood Elf list for some time now. The concept is based around the Winter Prince, a Highborn Wildrider. Unlike most tree spirits who lay dormant during the cold months, the Winter Prince's power waxes as the months grow colder and the nights longer. Few other spirits are awake to answer his call to arms though, so I wanted to go light on the tree spirits. Unfortunately, that leaves a pretty weak and boring list, so I needed a way to incorporate treekin and a treeman into the mix to keep it from being a complete avoidance list. That's where Rackham's Wolfen and Privateer's Alpha Warpwolf come in. Arctic wolves fit a winter theme quite well, and are an easy substitute for the tree spirits on similar base sizes.

My list isn't expected to be a major tournament competitor (at least not in my mind), but I'd like it to be flexible enough that I can swap a couple of units and make it a tourney list if I want. Because of that, I'll actually be painting up more than the required 2250, probably closer to 2500. Since Wood Elf units are expensive, this won't prove to be too much of a problem.

I figured the best way to start would be to take an inventory of the models I think I'll be painting.

• 5 Waywatchers – these are the models that got me to buy Wood Elves to begin with, so I didn't think it would be right to leave them out. Plus, I've already got the unit started from having used them in Mordheim.
  
• 3 units of 10 Glade Guard – these guys should paint up fast. Not a ton of detail, and the big cloaks make for easy shading. I only run two in my list, but having a third unit painted will give me the option of switching things up.
  
• 1 unit of Dryads – my theme is a winter force, light on the tree spirits, so I'm only using one unit of dryads. These guys will be bare of any kind of foliage, possibly with some snow/icicle effects.
• 5 Wildriders – these are the Winter Prince's personal bodyguards.
• 15 Eternal Guard.
• 5 Glade Riders.
  
• 3 "Treekin" – the role of treekin will be played by Rackham Wolfen.
• 1 "Treeman" – played by a Privateer Circle Orboros Pureblood Warpwolf.
• A mix of characters, including the Winter Prince, a Wildrider hero/lord; a hero with great weapon; a hero with hand weapon and spear which I may convert to a BSB; 2 mages; an "alter" hero with bow; and a Rackham tree spirit that came with a box of wolfen that will make a very unique Branchwraith.

Next entry: pics of the starting state of the army.