Practice Game - Andre Feliz - Empire

I got a fun game in with a friend of mine a few weeks ago.  I held off posting it as I was playing my Infernal Zoo list and so wanted to keep all those games together.  Andre was supposed to have his Infernal Zoo list, but at the last minute I guess he scrapped the list and instead of making something quickly he just brought a normal list.

We just played a straight battle line game.

The List

As Andre didn’t have an actual written list for me to snap pics for copying here, I took a brief jot of what he said was in the list.  Therefore it may be slightly incomplete.  Just to note, the limited magic items are because he said he didn’t take many, not because I missed them.

Mage, Level 4, Lore of Heavens, general, heraculum, 4+ ward save, dispel scroll

Warrior priest, barded warhorse, great weapon, heavy armor

Warrior priest, great weapon, heavy armor

Witch hunter, two pistols

BSB, armor of meteoric iron

11 Knights, full command

21 muskets, full command, long rifle on champion

2 units of 10 halberd detachments

38 Greatswords, banner, musician

Hellblaster volley gun

6 Chicken Knights, halbreds

Cannon

5 pistoliers

Magic

For magic on my mightily spec’d wizards I rolled default – so double warp lightening.  Andre rolled iceshard blizzard, chain lightening, windblast and harmonic convergence.

Deployment

I was a little bad on picture taking for this game.  I did not get a picture for deployment or vanguard.  I only got one during the middle of my movement phase so you’ll have to stretch your imagination a little.

Andre put his pistols on the left with the chicken knights.  His general then went down to cover the left flank, including the neighboring greatswords.  The hellblaster went down centerish, with the shooting unit next to it.  I think Andre then wisely put one detachment facing behind to cover any sneaking gutter runners.  The other detachment went on the right facing forward.  The right flank was then finished off with the knights and the cannon (sneaky thing hiding in the corner).

For my deployment, and here is where a little imagination is needed, I started off my about equally placing my three stormvermin units in my backfield, more than 4 inches back (so that the hellblaster would have to move twice before being able to shoot them).  The cannon went centerish and on the back edge.  The brood horrors then went center with the order (from left to right) being, general, horror, horror, abomination.  This would provide me maximum flexibility as I moved forward.  I also hid my two wizards by themselves.  Worst thing that could happen is they would attract a cannon shot, and that wouldn’t be so bad.

I put my deployment token in the center by the muskets.

I scouted my assassin by himself up on the far right, avoiding the knights and heading for the cannon.  Andre had wisely blocked off his board edge and I couldn’t put a gutter runner unit up enough to be effective to the cannon without risking him going first and charging with the knights.  I then put a unit of gutter runners in position to take out the pistols and another for the hellblaster.

Andre vanguarded up his pistoliers.  He also selected my general for his witch hunter.

We rolled and even with Andre getting the +1, I got the first turn.

Turn 1 – Skaven

I decide to base my movement on the abomination, who goes up just past the half way line.  I move a brood horror up center and then the other two, making a start with everyone more than 6” from the other and in a position to counter charge with their large movement.  I then put the gutter runner bait unit up, hoping to draw in the swordsman (and to take out that hellblaster).  The other unit of gutter runners move up to pepper the fast cav.  With the abomination moving into range of the knights, I advance with the right flank stormvermin, figuring they could charge into a protracted hellpit combat and take out steadfast (after hatred and lances have gone away of course).

As I didn’t move up with my casters, wanting to wait until he commits himself a little, I don’t have a magic phase.

For shooting I launch my rocket with a massive 9 dice (and only get 2 2s!).  Rolling the exact number I was going for (wanted a 31.5 really, but got a 31), I drop the rocket on the greatswords.  I get 22 hits, 18 wounds and 15 dead; taking out near half the unit (it has got a warrior priest and the bsb for 40 models).  They sadly don’t run.  The left gutter runners then put 2 wounds on the fast cav, but andre makes both saves.  My other unit blows off the hellblaster.  The muskets are just out of range of the BSB and panic, running through both detachments but only panicing one of them.  This severely disrupts Andre’s center line.  My luck having been so good on the shooting phase, my cannon levels it out by blowing up.  Man, I really hate warplightening cannons.

Turn 1 – Empire

Andre, possibly reeling from a nasty first turn shooting decides to go big.  The Knights declare a charge on the flank of the abomination.  The greatswrods charge the gutter runner bait, making all their stand and shoot saves.  The greatswords are close enough to be automatically in, but the knights fail their charge on the abomination.

The musket unit rallies while the detachment runs off the table through the cannon.  The cannon doesn’t panic though, maintaining its shooting and chance for survival.

Andre advances towards center with the chicken knights and his general.

After channels and Andre’s bonus dice, I find myself looking at an 11/7 magic phase.  Being disappointed in finding none of my monsters with 6” of any other, Andre still tries to chain lightening my general.  Unfortunately, he is unsuccessful with his spell.  I then dispel fire and a 5+ ward on the greatswords, not wanting him to have it for my counter charge.  I choose not to scroll the heraculum on my general.  In the end it gives him only +1 to hit in combat.

The cannon attempts to save himself by grape shooting my assassin in the woods.  Needing 6s to hit (long range, woods), Andre is not happy to see only a 2 come up for shots.  He does manage to get a single hit but fails to wound.  The pistoliers, having circumvented the gutter runner pop off 3 stormvermin and cause the unit to panic off the table.

In combat the gutter runners and greatswords each manage to kill 6 of the other.  I then panic, but he fails to catch me.  This does provide him with some charge cover, though I could still squeeze in a monster on each corner, limiting his attacks.  Wasn’t going to be able to get in all three though, which had been the plan.

Turn 2 – Skaven

My turn sadly does not begin with my night runners coming on.  Would have been nice with the muskets having rallied.

I do however find myself in a solid position, so I charge my assassin into the cannon, not using my potion.  My front brood horror charges the greatswords, but he fails his terror test.  Only needing like a 4 or 5 to catch, I decide not to recharge.  My general, using his potion of foolhardiness, then charges into the heraculum, which passes his panic test.  My general gets into combat and my brood horror takes the greatswords and two characters off the table.

My abomination, with the muskets having run last turn find itself without any good charges, so I decide to go after the knights, which at a minimum will hold them up a turn and not let them charge into the center.  I need a 14 but only get an 11.  The gutter runners rally.

In movement, my gutter runners move to take out the pistoliers.  My wizard falls back towards a stormvermin unit, but stays within the 24” cast range of the pistoliers.  As this leaves my wizard in range of shooting, I reform my center stormvermin to charge the them should they move up to take out my wizard.

I roll an 8/5 magic phase, and roll 4 at each casting of warp lightening.  He dispels the one against the fast cav, and allows it against the knights, making all his saves.

In shooting the gutter runners do 5 wounds to the pistoliers.  He makes 3 saves, but still panics after losing 2.  They run towards the board edge some.

My assassin makes quick work of the cannon with his 3 rerolling attacks and D3 wounds.  Andre’s wizards fails his fear test, putting me back at 4s to hit (thanks to heraculum).  I challenge, as there is no downside, and it allows for overkill should I get lucky.  My impact hits does 1 wound to the general.  I put all 5 attacks from my general into his caster, and do 4 more wounds.  My mount then does 2 to his mount.  I have 7 wounds, charge and a hill and so his heraculum flees and gets run down.

Turn 2 – Empire

Its Andre’s turn 2 and he strikes back.  The knights charge into the abomination.  The fast cavalry rally.

Andre rolls up a 5/2 magic phase.  I scroll flaming on the knights, for which all of Andre’s power dice were rolled.

His musket shooting is ineffective.

In combat, the knights pass their fear test.  The abomination takes 1 wound.  He then turns and kills 2 knights, making the horses -1 to hit.  The abomination loses, but passes on his stubborn.

Turn 3 – Skaven

My turn 3 and the stormvermin, having snuck up, flank charge the knights.  The center brood horror charges the last detachment.

I roll another 8/4 magic phase (last was actually 8/5, but still a nice 8 power dice).  I roll 4 at the fast cav, which he dispels as the other caster is out of range.

The gutter runners then kill the fast cavalry.  2 brood horror breath weapons manages to do 1 wound to the chicken knights.

The halberds pass their fear but lose 4.  They do 2 wounds back.  I then take off 2 more with thunderstomp, denying steadfast.  He goes 10 inches, and I don’t catch, leaving the fleeing unit blocking his counter charge.  With the knight, the warrior priest hadn’t made way into the abomination in the last round, but did in this round.  My stormvermin only manage to get 1 wound through his 3+ armor.  The abomination then kills 3 knights.  The knights fail to wound the abomination, but the warrior priest does kill 2 stormvermin.  With the rank of stormvermin matching the rank of the knights, he is not steadfast, and breaks and runs – getting caught by the abomination.

With only the chicken knights and a brood horror about to get into the muskets, all his characters and shooting dead, Andre concedes the game, having killed only a single unit of stormvermin.

Since our game Andre has gotten permission to buy his landship out of his monster points, so I fully expect to see an army of all core knights, chicken knights, 3 cannons, 2 steamtanks, a landship and a giant as his army.  That will make for a much harder match than this list.

Even with a win, I don’t expect to do that well with this army.  It’s just not good in the meta – phoenix, cannons, cannons, fake cannons such as steam tank, landship, skill cannon and ironblaster.  Did I mention cannons?