The Mission: Blood & Glory
Primary Objective: Massacre your opponent. 2 points for killing general, 1 point for each captured (combat) banner, 3 points for breaking our opponent. No auto ending of game for breaking, so points can be earned by either player.
Secondary Objective: 1 point for each monster, warmachine, lord (not general) and hero killed.
Max of 15 points can be earned.
For this mission I could give up 12 points (2 for general, 4 banners, 3 for breaking, 2 monsters and 1 hero). My goal seemed simple, kill things. I also think it’s important to note that nothing in this mission is contentious, so it’s possible for both players to walk away as the “winner.” I sarcastically mentioned this to my opponent, who responded with a harsh “that’s not in the spirit of the game.”
My opponents list was:
Slann, Focused Rumination, Focus of Mystery, Becalming Cogitation, Lore of Life (so all spells, no 6s and an extra die). This slann is good at any level.
Scar Vet, BSB, Cold One, Armor of Fortune, Venom of the Firefly Frog,
23 Saurus Warriors, Full Command
10 Skink Skirmishers
5 Cold One Cavalry
7 Chameleon Skinks
Ancient Stegadon
Based on the objectives for the mission Phillip had 10 points for me to earn (2 for general, 3 for banners, 3 for breaking, 1 for monster and 1 for the hero). Once again I was playing a mission where I couldn’t earn as may points as my opponent. Normally I would be worried about the Slann set up he has. Dwellers just wrecks my skaven, but I’m slowly realizing that my Dark Elves are a completely different animal (I just don’t have enough games with the list to be comfortable with what isn’t a bad pairing). Thinking about it now, I’m not sure why I would be worried about Dwellers. It’s got a high casting to throw at one of my S4 characters or 6 man S3 units, and not worth it at the Hydra. I was worried about the Steg as all of those poison shots would wreck a unit a turn. Also the poison (on character) and armor on the cavalry had me worried (I miss you metal wizard!).
Walking up to the table, I figured this table’s terrain would play much less of a role (sad no ‘all spells building). On Phillip’s side of the board there was two very large hills which played no role, he also had a fence that did nothing. I had a fence I may have defended once, but didn’t actually get shot at that point. I also had a hill on my left board edge that I charged down once late game (but didn’t need the combat resolution). In the center from left to right there was a forest (who earned MVP for the game), a ruins that cast a random spell and an impassible well which did something on a dice role but was never used. The big features were the forest and the casting hub.
From left to right (my perspective) Phillip deployed his cavalry with BSB, saurus with Slann in front, stegadon and his skinks. He would go on to put the chameleons basically in his deployment zone. I deployed a dark rider unit on the left, both hydras with characters for support in the left center with the last two dark riders on the right, blocking out the scouts in my deployment zone. I would place my scouts in his back right and vanguard just enough to be in shooting range (damn that skirmish!).
We rolled off and Phillip go the first turn. He advanced across the board, except for the skinks, which about faced to play with the Shades. On his magic phase (5/4), he would just put up throne. The terrain feature gave the Stegadon 10WS and 10I. His shooting would kill 2 shades.
My turn 1 and I found the saurus warriors in charge range of both hydras. Phillip didn’t seem happy that he had done that. I charge with the first, he passes his terror test and holds. At this point I debate, be happy with 1 getting in combat? Hope for the flee and push the Slann back and out for a few turns? Hope he holds on the second? I decide since it’s just turn 1 to declare the charge, and charge again with the left hydra. Phillip chooses to flee and roll an abysmally low number. If either hydra rolls a 10 to charge I will catch the saurus, the slann and probably the game. Alas, no 10s, and both Hydras trundle into the forest edge. The shades charge into the skinks. A unit of dark riders charge the chameleons, losing 3 to the stand and shoot (ouch!). My 5/3 magic phase sees me getting a Spirit Leech off on the Stegadon. Leadership 9 versus Leadership 6, a great roll and some wonderful randomization sees the Stegadon deleted and enough extra dice earned back to dispel throne. The terrain feature had cast Plague of Rust on the Stegadon before it died. In shooting I kill one of the riders. Shades kill 3 skinks in combat and then die to a man when the skinks fight back (really?!?). The Dark Riders kill 2 chameleons which then make their snake eyes leadership roll.
Phillip’s turn 2 and the cavalry charge the left most hydra, 1 rider dies to the forest. The slann rallies and the skinks come about to re-join the fray. For the magic phase the terrain casts Wild Form on my dark riders in combat with the chameleons. A 2/1 magic phase allows the slann to cast shield of thorns on the chameleons which then kills a dark rider. In the combat 2 chameleons die as does a rider. The chameleons again roll snakes to hold. In the other combat the hydra whiffs, runs but doesn’t get caught. Amazingly the forest kills another rider.
My Turn 2 and the Hydra rallies. I charge the second dark rider unit into the failing chameleons. My caster moves to sun the cavalry. I roll a 7/6 magic phase, and not wanting to risk losing my dice on a miscast roll to dispel shield of thorns first… and fail, ending my magic phase. The terrain soulblights the chameleons. In shooting I kill some of the warriors and the chameleons die in combat. I make the mistake of over running with my larger unit, when I should have turned to face the skinks. I was thinking of getting some extra movement towards center board to add shooting to the warriors. It was dumb, and nearly cost me a banner later in the game.
Phillip’s turn 3 and he recharges the hydra with his rider. The lovely forest goes and kills another rider, meaning that there is 1 rider left (1 dead from shooting and THREE from the forest). The saurus warriors move up some and the skinks move to shoot the larger dark rider unit. In magic speed of light gets cast on my solo rider. Phillip rolls a 7/5 dispel phase, but I manage to fail my dispel second dispel attempt (after getting throne) so he gets of +2T on warriors and a small earthblood on the warriors. The hydra/rider combat doesn’t do anything.
On my turn 3 I counter charge with the left most unit of dark riders into the cavalry/hydra combat (remember that hill, well, here it is). I also charge the other hydra and the BSB into the saurus warriors. For the magic phase the building kills a single dark rider with a weak fireball and I get an 8/4 phase. I get off soulblight into combat with 3 dice. I had moved my caster alongside the saurus combat, and Phillip was afraid I would sun down the line, picking up the rest of the unit. It’s exactly what I was planning on doing, and even with an extra die, he manages to dispel it. I shoot at the skink unit, which passes its panic test. The hydra and dark riders kill off the cavalry and the hero, though I lose three dark riders. I put 2 wounds on the Slann and kill some warriors, but he holds on steadfast. I had popped the egg on the BSB, so his Slann had challenged to soak up the wounds.
Lizardman Turn 4 and things aren’t looking that hot for Phillip. The building soulblights the single dark rider. In his 6/4 magic phase he rolls a 15 (so 19 with wizard level) on throne so I let it go through. I then dispel the +4T and he gets through Regen and Shield. I’m no longer worried about the effects of the combat. His warriors can’t hurt the hydra and his slann can’t hurt my BSB, so I know that with my general there the worst I’m going to see is two chances at leadership 7 or 8. I’m winning but a little now, but all I need is time and there is still plenty. I win the combat after killing a few warriors and he is steadfast.
Dark Elf turn 4 and Phillip is again left with the option in my 4/4 magic phase to try to stop my3 dice soulblight and risk my 1 remaining die turn into a purple sun with power of darkness. This time he opts for the soulblight, and I proceed to power of darkness into a purple sun. His Slann passes but drops his warriors to only 1 model. I choose not to dispel any of his remains in plays. I kill the last warrior and the Slann passes his test.
Lizardman Turn 5 and a 6/3 magic phase (oh, by the way, the last three skinks for some reason ran off to conserve points in a mission without points) sees the Slann once again healing all of his wounds, awakening the woods on the second advancing hydra and going +4T. I then use my dice to dispel shield (and fail). Combat does nothing and the Slann holds (yay BSB for the win).
Dark Elf Turn 5 and I start to press in. My general charges into the flank of the Slann and the right most dark riders charge the front. I use all my power dice to dispel shield of thorns. Combat does nothing, but the added charge, banner and flank to my BSB gets the slann to break from combat, and with four chances the Slann is easily run down.
We play the last two turns for some reason, I think just to see what the magic building does – and it does something, blowing up a hydra with a fireball granting my opponent another point. I scored a 10 (2 for General, 3 banners, 1 monster, 1 hero, 3 Breaking opponent) but I’m pretty sure we missed counting the hero and only reported a 9. He scored a 1 just for the fireball killing the hydra.
Well that’s round 2. Last round and top table coming up.
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