Part of our Sylvaneth hub: every Sylvaneth guide, lore page and painting tutorial in one place. Browse every Combat Patrol & Spearhead guide.
Sylvaneth have two Spearhead forces. Spitewing Flight (2026) is a fast, all-flying hunting party of aelf-like Revenants riding giant insects. Bitterbark Copse is the original box: a Branchwych, a towering Treelord, Kurnoth Hunters and Tree-Revenants, all of whom use terrain to ambush the enemy. Spitewing Flight suits players who want speed and a small, quick-to-paint army. Bitterbark Copse suits anyone who wants a big monster and a sneaky, terrain-hopping style.
What’s in the Sylvaneth Spearhead Boxes?
Spearhead: Sylvaneth – Spitewing Flight
Released in April 2026, this box builds 12 plastic miniatures. The Revenant Seekers and Spiterider Lancers come from the same kit, so you can build either, but the Spearhead uses three of each.
| Unit | Models | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Arch-Revenant (general) | 1 | Flying hero who leads the hunt |
| Gossamid Archers | 5 | Mobile archers who shoot and then reposition |
| Spiterider Lancers | 3 | Charging cavalry that deal mortal damage |
| Revenant Seekers | 3 | Cavalry that blunt enemy attacks |
Spearhead: Sylvaneth (Bitterbark Copse)
The original Sylvaneth Spearhead box (previously sold as a Vanguard box) builds 10 plastic miniatures. The Treelord can also be built as a Treelord Ancient or Spirit of Durthu, and the Tree-Revenants as Spite-Revenants, but the Spearhead uses the options below.
| Unit | Models | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Branchwych (general) | 1 | Wizard who heals and revives |
| Treelord | 1 | Monster and objective anchor |
| Kurnoth Hunters | 3 | Long-range archers (build them with greatbows) |
| Tree-Revenants | 5 | Fast, flexible melee infantry |
The Spearhead Rules
Spitewing Flight
Battle traits:
- Target of Vengeance: at the start of the battle round, if there’s no current quarry, you pick an enemy unit to be your quarry.
- Song of the Hunt: every time a quarry is destroyed you gain a “chord”. One chord gives +1 to run and charge rolls near the quarry, two add +1 to hit, and three or more also add +1 to wound.
- Airborne Cohesion: your units have a 2″ coherency range, which makes the flying models much easier to place.
Regiment abilities (pick one): Leaves on the Wind lets one unit retreat out of combat at the end of a turn without taking damage, once per battle. Lifebringers heals all your units a little at the end of a turn.
Enhancements: Head of the Hunt (+1 Rend for the general near the quarry), Bold Spirit (a once-per-battle wound bonus for nearby units), Zephyrkin (the general can fly away after fighting on the charge) and Cunning Pursuer (charge bonuses, especially against the quarry).
Bitterbark Copse
Battle traits: Ley Lines heals your units near terrain at the end of each turn. Strike and Fade lets a unit that fought near terrain vanish and reappear by other terrain, more than 6″ from the enemy.
Regiment abilities: Vengeful Spirits of the Land can deal mortal damage to an enemy unit on an objective. Walkers of the Hidden Paths teleports a unit from one terrain feature to another during your movement phase.
Enhancements: two extra spells (Regrowth for healing and Treesong for extra Rend), Gnarled Warrior (save penalties don’t affect your general) and Seed of Rebirth (the general can survive being destroyed, once).
What Each Unit Does
Arch-Revenant
A 12″-moving flying hero with a hard-hitting glaive. In your hero phase their hunting horn can add a chord to the Song of the Hunt, so you can get the bonuses going before you’ve killed anything.
Gossamid Archers
Five archers with short-range bows that can shoot even while they’re in combat. After shooting, they can move up to D6″, which lets them shoot from cover and hop back out of sight.
Spiterider Lancers
Your hammer. After charging they deal mortal damage to a nearby enemy, with extra damage against the quarry. Use them to finish quarries and build up chords.
Revenant Seekers
The defensive half of the cavalry. If they didn’t charge that turn, they can reduce an enemy unit’s melee attacks. Put them in front of the enemy’s best fighters to protect the Lancers.
Bitterbark Copse units
The Branchwych heals and can bring back slain models, up to D3 Tree-Revenants at a time. The Treelord is a 14-Health monster with a 3+ save and huge melee damage, and it can make an enemy strike last. Kurnoth Hunters shoot 18″ and give friendly units on the same objective a 6+ ward. Tree-Revenants choose each combat phase between +1 to hit and +1 to save.
How to Play the Sylvaneth Spearheads
Spitewing Flight game plan
Your army is small, so choose your quarry carefully. Pick something you can realistically destroy in a turn or two, such as a weakened hero or a small elite unit. Every kill makes the next one easier.
- Deployment: Keep everything together. Your bonuses all centre on the quarry, so splitting up wastes them.
- Round 1: Use the horn to get your first chord. Shoot with the Archers and stay out of reach.
- Rounds 2–3: Charge the quarry with the Lancers, screen with the Seekers, then pull out with Zephyrkin or Leaves on the Wind if a fight goes badly.
- Round 4: With 12″ movement everywhere, you can grab objectives across the board at the last moment.
Bitterbark Copse game plan
Fight near terrain. Ley Lines and Strike and Fade both reward staying close to it, so Tree-Revenants can hit a unit and then disappear somewhere safer. The Treelord holds the centre while the Kurnoth Hunters shoot from an objective.
Common mistakes
- Picking a quarry that’s too tough. If it never dies, you never gain chords.
- Spreading the Spitewing models out. You have very few, and they need to support each other.
- Leaving the Treelord on its own. It’s tough, but it isn’t invulnerable.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Spitewing Flight is extremely mobile: everything moves 12″ and flies
- The Song of the Hunt makes the army stronger as the game goes on
- Bitterbark Copse has a real monster and plenty of healing
- Small model counts make both boxes quick to build and paint
Weaknesses:
- Spitewing Flight has only twelve models, so it struggles to hold several objectives at once
- A badly chosen quarry can leave you with no bonuses all game
- Bitterbark Copse depends on terrain. On an open table, its traits do much less
Building and Painting Notes
The Spitewing Flight models have delicate wings and long lances, so build the riders and mounts in sub-assemblies, paint them separately, and use plastic glue for strength. Pale wood, autumn-coloured leaves and iridescent insect wings make a striking scheme. Bitterbark Copse is quick to paint with brown or grey bark Contrast paints and a bright spirit-glow accent. We don’t have a dedicated Sylvaneth painting guide yet, but our Age of Sigmar painting guide and how to paint wood texture cover the key techniques.
Expanding Beyond Spearhead
Both boxes are fully usable in Age of Sigmar, and they barely overlap, so owning both gives you a good mix of flying hunters and woodland monsters. Dryads, more Kurnoth Hunters and a big character such as Alarielle the Everqueen are classic next purchases. See our Sylvaneth army hub for more, read up on the faction in our Sylvaneth lore deep dive, and compare every faction’s boxes in our Age of Sigmar Spearhead guide.
Where to Buy the Box
If you want the Spitewing Flight box covered in this guide, it is listed on Amazon US through third-party sellers. Check that the listing still shows the same box before you buy, since stock and sellers change.
Price details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.As an Amazon Associate, Warhammer Guild earns from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Sylvaneth Spearhead should I buy?
Spitewing Flight if you want a fast, low-model-count army that’s quick to paint. Bitterbark Copse if you want a big Treelord and a terrain-based ambush style. Both are current Spearhead forces.
Is Spitewing Flight good for beginners?
It’s very forgiving to move around, since everything flies and the coherency range is generous. But with only twelve models, losing a unit hurts. Read the quarry rules carefully before your first game.
Can I build Revenant Seekers or Spiterider Lancers?
The kit builds either, but the Spearhead needs three of each. In a full Age of Sigmar army you can build whichever mix you like.
Can the Treelord be built as something else?
Yes, as a Treelord Ancient or Spirit of Durthu. For the Bitterbark Copse Spearhead, though, you need the standard Treelord.
How long does a Spearhead game take?
Usually about an hour. Spearhead is Age of Sigmar’s small-game format, played over four battle rounds on a half-size 44″ x 30″ battlefield, with each player using one Spearhead force. The low model counts of both Sylvaneth boxes, especially the 12-model Spitewing Flight, keep turns quick, which makes Spearhead a good way to learn the rules before a full game.
Can I use Spitewing Flight and Bitterbark Copse together?
Yes, in a full game of Age of Sigmar. Spearhead games use one Spearhead force at a time, but every model in both boxes has a normal Sylvaneth warscroll, so you can combine them in a points-based army. Because the boxes barely overlap, together they give you a solid starting core of fast flying hunters and tough woodland units.