Van is another player from my club, and not usually one I see at the top table (don’t get me wrong, he’s a good player, I’ll get to the why). Usually Van plays Orcs and Goblins, and by usually I mean up until now. Turns out Van had purchased an Ogre army and that will be his cup of tea from now on. But before we got to the table I was feeling pretty confident. Van and I had played before while I was practicing for Waaagh!PACA, and I knew even with him knowing how my list works I could beat him. Then I walk up to the table and see Van’s Ode to the Internet.
Slaughtermaster, Level 4, Lore of the Great Maw, Dispel Scroll, Fencer’s Blades, Seed of Rebirth, Ironcurse Icon, General
Bruiser, Heavy Armor, Great Weapon, BSB, Talisman of Preservation, Potion of Foolhardiness.
Firebell, Level 2, Lore of Fire, Great Weapon, Hellheart
11 Ironguts, full command, standard of discipline
4 Maneaters, all brace of pistols, poison, scout, Full Command, Banner of Eternal Flame
Sabertusk
Sabertusk
Sabertusk
Iron blaster
Iron blaster
The mission was similar to the tower mission, but instead of a tower there was a token. Picked up on a 4+ and worth 200 points by the unit that held it. Dying or fleeing were the only ways to get it to drop. Challenges were also worth an extra 50 points to the victor. Normal Battleline deployement.
Deployment for the ogres was kitty in each corner to prevent scouts, plus a second on the right side. Center got the death star with the characters and an iron blaster next to the star, one on each side. My deployment was evenly spaced riders to prevent his scout from back field, and both hydras on my leftish center hiding behind a building. BSB and general to support hydras and metal caster in the open on the right. I rolled to place scouts first and put center mast on right flank to ensure advantageous vanguards. He deployed in the center near the objective and I played my second unit on the right center. I then vanguarded a unit one dark riders strongly on the sides, and the other two to mid-field on the outer center position on each side of the maneaters.
I rolled and go the first turn. Not moving the centerish riders I put both of the flank units into his backfield. The metal caster moved up between the two right units of dark riders, and the other two characters did the same on the left. One hydra also swung up left while the other stayed behind the building. Van started making comments about being encircled. For magic I put 4 wounds on an iron blaster with death magic. I put a wound each on all three of the kitties, and finished off the left most iron blaster with shooting.
Van’s turn 1 and he moved the kitties up in the vain hope of keeping them alive. He marched all three characters into the man eaters, preventing them from shooting but picking up the token. He magic missiled to remove the charmed shield from my BSB and then killed him with the iron blaster.
My turn 2 and I moved up to maintain the encirclement. In magic I did three wounds to the iron blaster at the cost of my metal wizard. All the kitties died to shooting, as did a few of the ironguts.
Van’s turn 2, and the characters ran back to the iron guts. The iron blaster and maneaters swung to shoot at the hydra behind the building. Magic puts up regeneration on the maneaters. In shooting both the man eaters and iron blaster failed to hit the hydra (-2 due to building coverage and the iron blaster could only see a small corner).
Turn 3 and I keep the encirclement. Magic sets up -3 leadership on man eaters. The iron blaster dies to shooting. The hiding hydra knocks off the regeneration with its flame and shooting knocks the unit down to one model, which passes its panic test, DRAT!
Ogre turn 3 sees more character hoping, dispelling of remains in play and no successful magic cast. Few wounds put on hydra from pistol shooting and moving of the man eaters towards the building in my deployment zone.
My turn 4 and more things die, mostly from the -1T, -3LD (magic) iron guts who refuse to run away.
Van’s turn 4 and the man eaters move into the building, don’t wound with shooting. Some characters move back into the iron guts.
My turn 5 and I try to pick off the last man eater with magic/shooting, along with some more shooting at the ironguts. Building protects the maneater and some more ironguts die, but don’t run away.
Van’s turn 5 and he doesn’t do much… not much for him to do. He does move the firebelly into the building.
My turn 6 and I find myself in a bind. The entire game I’ve been playing a game with the firebelly. Staying outside 25 inches of it, but within 24 inches of whatever target I want to cast on, forcing any hellheart attempt to hit on a 6 only. On my final turn though, I’ve backed my caster into a corner and because the firebelly is now in a building, 24 inches from the last man eater means 24 inches from the hellheart. I roll a 12 for power dice, and van then rolls a 6 for his hellheart. I take a wound, but lose 6 dice leaving me 6 versus his 7 dispel. I am unable to get any magic off. Shooting proceeds, I’m unable to kill of a unit nor cause a panic test (I have the ironguts set up so they have to run off the table if they panic due to lack of space between units – F’ers pass their test).
Game ends with my having killed both iron blasters and three kitties for points (man eaters down to 1 wound, iron guns down to 3 models, wounds on most characters). He killed BSB non in combat and my level 2 died to miscast. Puts him up 50 points. Objective gives him a 250 point 12/8 win. Van spent 2/3rds of the game doing nothing, and yet due to deathstaring I was unable to pull the win. A frustrating loss.
Van pointed out that in the final turns, when the iron guts were down to 4/5 models with only a character or two, I had a chance to put 3 units of dark riders and a hydra into combat, front, rear and flank. He thinks that I could have pushed the unit down so that he couldn’t pass his break test and run it down. I have to admit that it didn’t occur to me at the time, and while I’m not sure it would have been the right play I need to make sure I don’t miss such an opportunity in the future.
Final standings were me at 1 point below the winners (Van and Doc tied for overall, with Doc winning on Sports score tiebreaker). Not bad for a 10 point handicap. I’m thinking I might drop a hydra for 6 points back, give back 2 points on magic items and play at a 6 point handicap in the future. Not sure where those 175 points will go. Perhaps naked hero on peg? Anyways, for April CoC I’m thinking that Vampire list I posted about, clan rats, unpainted terrorgeists and rat ogre on a dragon. What should I use for banshees?
Dark Elf Record for the year: 4/0/1 at Waaagh!PACA, 0/0/1 fun game, 2/1 CoC – so 6/0/3.
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