North Star – Round 5 – Jake Murphy – Dark Elves

Lay Down the Hammer!

Deployment: Battle for the Pass

Special Rules: Two objectives on midline.  No impassible terrain special rules of Battle for the Pass.  Night Fall – After game 5, game ends on 1 or 2.  After turn 6 game ends on 1 through 4.  Game automatically ends after turn 7.  Same scoring unit rules as Round 4.

Major Objective: Control both objectives with same control rules as round 3.

Minor Objective: Control more quarters.  Scoring units control or contest – all or nothing.

The List

Sorceress, Level 4, Lore of Metal, Dispel Scroll

Death Hag, General, Cauldron

Master, BSB, Heavy Armor, Lance, Shield, Cold One, Hydra Banner

20 Repeater Crossbowman, full command

5 Dark Riders

5 Dark Riders

5 Dark Riders

9 Cold One Knights, full command, Banner of Swiftness

21 Executioners, full command, gleaming pennant

War Hydra

War Hydra

So from what I have seen Jake is the Dark Elf king of the Midwest.  Going into the 4^th round there were 3 dark elves ahead of me in battle points (the competition for best of race).  After round 5 there was 1 ahead of me and I was playing another.  He is the master and I was the poser.  Jake runs with Ryan Nicol and I remember how good he was, and so I was expecting (and got) a nice challenge out of Jake.  Jake is also a great guy to hang out with and this would be our first game.

Magic

Jake had been complaining that his level 4 metal wizard hadn’t done much all event.  I figured if he was 3-1 going in, and was complaining his magic was worthless I was in more trouble then I though.  Metal wizards aren’t worthless against double hydra though.

Jake rolled searing doom, enchanted blades, Gehanna’s golden hounds and glittering robes – so two kill hydra spells, 1 enhance his crossbows to kill dark rider spell and 1 resist my shooting spell… great.

I rolled up spirit leech, soul blight, doom and darkness, and purple sun on my death caster and searing doom and glittering robes on my metal caster.  Not horrible spells.

Terrain

This table once again had more toned down terrain.  We again agreed that it didn’t make sense to see through a forest that you couldn’t see into and so the forests blocked line of sight.  Otherwise there were just impassible terrain and little hard cover rock forests (that could be seen through).

Deployment

As this table was deployed on the long edge, pictures became much simpler to take.  They are all from the same side so I’ll be using close and far versus left and right.

Jake deployed his crossbows on the close side with the cold ones.  The far side got both hydras and the fighting unit.  The cauldron tried to play the middle but eventually swung to the far side to avoid the rock.  The dark riders had originally deployed in the back (no shown) to prevent my scouts and then vanguard back up to the rest of the army.

I counted my hydras on the close side to take out the crossbows and caster and put chaff out with my metal caster to take on the hydras and block.  My plan was to crush that one shooting unit and the deal with the hydras afterwards, maybe throwing some searing dooms in the early/mid game as convenient.

My shades took the left side, to try to push through the crossbows quickly.

We roll off and I get the first run thanks to the +1.  Jake had gotten to choose who deployed first, and as we had the same drops this gave me the needed +1.

Turn 1 – Dark Elves (Me)

So I of course didn’t have any changes on the first turn.  My shades moved up to try to get maximum death on the crossbows, even though it put them in threat of the cold ones.  I figured my assassin would save me (turns out cold ones are only T3, so not so much).  The rest of my shooting moves into position and I throw out a unit of harpies to block off the movement of the cold ones/dark riders.

I roll a 9/6 magic phase and start out with a PoD with the death caster for +3 (12/6).  I then put a 3D soulblight on the cross bows, which he allows.  I 2D PoD with the metal caster which he dispel.s  I then 5D the boosted searing doom on a hydra to pull the scroll, which I do.

In shooting the shades only do 5 wounds to the crossbows and he passes his panic.  I then do 4 more to the unit.  My general tries to put a panic on the close dark riders but only kills 1.

Turn 1 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

Jake starts his turn off by giving the cold ones a 5++ save and charging the shades.  He makes his saves on the stand and shoot.  Turns out the unit had the banner of swiftness, proving I should have been more cautious as I underestimated them severely.

The close dark riders charge the harpies and I flee.  Shooting cancelled ;).

Jake rolls a 10/6 magic phase and starts with a 6D searing doom on a hydra, which I scroll.  I then dispel PoD and he fails GGH.

The crossbow unit puts 1 wound on my general.  The breath weapons from the hydras each do 5 wounds to dark riders.  One panics and eventually will run off the table.  The other holds.  His dark riders manage to kill 1 dark rider on another unit.

In combat he challenges, and then my assassin kills his champion.  His character and unit wipes out the shades making me need snakes to hold.  And I make it.  At this point I am literally jumping up and down in circles.  My plan had to be to walk up with both hydras and double flame the crossbows, but now I have 2 hydras in striking distance of the cold ones, which are worth lots of shinny points.

Turn 2 – Dark Elves (Me)

I activate my egg and charge my BSB and both hydras into the Cold Ones.  I assume the BW won’t do anything, but T6 would help him keep his static combat without giving up a wound.  I also charge a dark rider unit into his dark rider unit.  He will get more horses, but I get the +1S, banner and charge.

The harpies rally.  DR doesn’t, but I already said he would run off.  I move up to take advantage of gaps and maximize shooting with priority on dark riders and cross bows.

I roll an 8/5 magic phase.  I start off by rolling snakes with PoD on my death caster ending her turn.  I then 6D searing doom on a hydra, and he fails his dispel.  I only get 5 hits and 2 wounds.

My shooting sees my general killing 2 dark riders, and my solo dark rider kills another.

In the dark rider on dark rider combat, I lose 1 and kill 4 with the last with the horse.  No panics.  My BSB challenges his BSB.  He takes 1 wound (and loses an attack) and I don’t thanks to egg.  I forgot to breath.  My handlers then kill 1 cold one.  The one cold one that can attack my assassin (who didn’t get through armor) takes 1 wound from the rider and his last from the cold one (but did his job!).  Needing to kill 4 cold one knights in order to break steadfast, and looking around the table I decide to use both breath weapons (I’m sure double hydra can kill crossbows in combat, and the block unit is way far away) to ensure that I can kill those cold ones.  They go poof in a cloud of flaming goo.  That leaves just the BSB.  Jake and I agree that I deserve him rolling snakes but he doesn’t and commits seppuku.  The crossbows panic and run into the hard cover.

Turn 2 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

Jake blesses the crossbows with a 5++ ward in the hopes they will rally, and they do.  His dark riders charge my dark riders and I flee.  A 9 keeps me on the table but I roll an 11 and run off on the far side.  The hydras turn and start moving to the close side of the table.

Jake gets a 7/4 magic phase and throws them all at a large searing doom at a hydra.  He also gets 5 hits but only 1 wound.

His dark riders plink the last dark rider off of the unit in his back field.  This leaves me with 1 scoring unit and him with 2, but the crossbows so far out of position that even if they did live they couldn’t get to the objectives.  So controlling both objectives is now out, and we are down to just quarters.

Turn 3 – Dark Elves (Me)

My BSB charges his cross bows to pull the stand and shoot.  I take 1 wound on the stand and shoot.  The hydras then both charge.  He fails 1 of the terror tests but uses his reroll to pass.  One of my hydras fails to get into combat.  If he had run I had a fast unit ready to push him off the table.

Nothing rallies… just that damn guy who will eventually run off.

I roll a 10/5 magic phase.  I 2D PoD for +4 (14/5).  I 6D boosted searing doom on hydra.  My turn for 5 hits and only 1 wound.  I then 5D purple sun which he dispels.

I pick off another unit of dark riders.

In combat his champion challenges.  My BSB whiffs, but the stop kills him.  They hydra then leaves only 4 guys and the wizard but he fails his steadfast and runs.  I don’t catch but I held with the hydra as I wanted him in a better position for his hydras coming around the rock.

Turn 3 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

This turn the blessing goes on a hydra for a 5++ ward.  He charges the hapries, which fail their terror and then redirects into the rear of the hydra that failed its charge.

He doesn’t rally so no magic or shooting.

In combat all the handlers do nothing.  I do 1 wound to his hydra and he none to me.  I still lose due to static.  I flee and get caught.

Turn 4 – Dark Elves (Me)

I start my turn by counter charging my hydra into his hydra.  This time I have the advantage of being up 1 wound and have the flank instead of his rear.

Both of my fleeing units (that dang dark rider) run off the table.

I roll a 9/4 magic phase.  I throw it all at purple sun, don’t get a miscast and he fails dispel.  I roll a 10, hitting the ward save hydra, the cauldron and a harpy.  The hydra and cauldron get picked up.  I get 3 dice back (12/4).  I put doom and darkness on his last hydra in the combat.

My general whiffs his shooting.

In combat my handlers get a wound through while his don’t.  His hydra then saves my hydra and he does 1 wound to me.  Losing combat and with DND has him running off the table.

Turn 4 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

Jake has 1 unit of dark riders and his block left at this point.  He has no charges.  He moves to shoot my general and does 1 wound.  The block begins to move away from my army to conserve points.

Turn 5 – Dark Elves (Me)

I have no charges.  I move they last hydra towards the block, hoping the game lasts long enough for me to try for a terror test and the harpy unit in the woods to come out and push off.

I roll a 3/2 magic phase and throw them all to soulblight the dark riders.

My shooting leaves 1 dark rider which passes his panic.

Turn 5 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

Jake keeps moving, his shooting is ineffective.

We roll and the game continues.

Turn 6 – Dark Elves (Me)

I continue to move up my hydra to charge the block, which it will be able to do if we go to 7 (needing box cars to make it should he hold).  The rest moves to kill the dark riders and shoot the block as back up.

I roll a 10/5 magic phase.  I 4D searing doom at the dark rider, but fail to wound.  As I rolled 6s I lose 4 dice but don’t’ take any wounds myself.  I don’t bother to try to cast with my last two dice and him having 5.

My shooting takes off the dark rider and kills 2 off the block.

Turn 6 – Dark Elves (Not Me)

To avoid being close to the board edge for the terror check, the block turns.  The game however does not continue to see if what would have happened.

What a game to finish the old dark elf book on.  Dark Elf versus Dark Elf and me getting the win.  What a blast.  Jake got my favorite game vote.  My magic was again huge, 59/27 versus 17/10 (because I killed his wizard), giving me 32 power dice over him while he only had 7 over me.  Man, I’m going to miss that (I’m not going to miss throwing 2 dice at PoD and sucking my wizard into the warp though).