Hammer Time!
Deployment: Dawn Attack
Special Rules: Units and Characters with fortitude do not role for
deployment.
Major Objective: Destroying (not on table) 4 core units, or all if less
than 4.
Minor Objective: Destroying 3 heroes, or all if less than 3.
The List
Sorcerer, General, Level 4, Lore of Death, Mark of Nurgle, Talisman of
Endurance, Dragonhelm, Crown of Command, Dispel Scroll, Scaled Skin, Nurgles
Rot
Exalted Hero, BSB, Mark of Tzeentch, Great Weapon, Talisman of
Preservation, Charmed Shield, Soul Feeder, 3rd Eye of Tzeentch,
Daemonic Mount, Barding
18 Warriors, full command, mark of nurgle, halberds, shields, standard
of discipline
5 Chaos Hounds
5 Chaos Hounds
5 Chaos Hounds
Chaos Chariot
Gorebeast Chariot
Gorebeast Chariot
5 Hellstriders of Slannash, hellscourges, standard
3 Skullcrushers, music, banner, ensorcelled weapons, banner of
swiftness
3 Skullcrushers, music, banner, ensorcelled weapons, gleaming pennant
This list was not a great match up for me. Nothing really to hurt me but the death caster, but not a
long of easy points to pick up. My
smart play would be to keep my characters and hydras away from his death caster
and just pick up a few points for a small win… but didn’t sound like fun for
either of us.
Magic
For magic I rolled up Final Transmutation and Searing doom on my metal
wizard and spirit leech, caress, doom and darkness and purple sun on my death
wizard.
Mike rolled up Spirit leech, caress, fate and doom on his death wizard.
Terrain
The board we were deployed on included lots of little rivers and three
big puddles built in. This was
initially a cause for concern as rivers would prevent my marching. But after reading the rules for the
table, I discovered that the rivers got to be ignores. The ponds on the other hand would cause
D6 wounds to units who failed an initiative test if at the end of the movement
phase the majority of the units models were completely in the water. This actually made it fairly easy to
get around, as my characters and hydra just needed to clip the edge to ignore
the rule.
The forests included an additional rule that allowed for them to
completely block line of sight. It
actually said if inside the forest, but it didn’t make sense to say that I
could see you beyond the forest, but not in the forest, so we agreed that it
blocked everything. The forests
were also limitedly mysterious.
The center of the table included a Gateway, which at the start of each
magic phase would cause a magical effect to be target on the closest unit. There are both good and bad things on
the list.
Deployment
I get the chance to take first deployment, and spread my army along the
front line. Everything that rolled
got placed in the center except a unit of harpies, which placed as far center
as I could.
We roll on the right forest, since I deployed in it, and its normal.
Mike managed to roll 2s for his entire core, and center for the two
gorebeasts, so he put the entire army bubbled into the corner. Both Mike and I felt like this was a
good thing for me, and it probably was and would have been even better if his
list wasn’t such a bad match up for mine.
Mike was smart and put the dog units into the far back corner.
I scouted my gutter runners to try to take out the gorebeast chariots
and vanguarded up to get into firing positions.
Mike did not roll a 6 to steal the first turn, not that it would have
mattered much – and may have even been better for me.
Turn 1 – Dark Elves
Going first, I of course had no charges, but just moved into shooting
range as much as possible. I did
trigger the center forest to find out it was a wildwood.
I rolled a 12/7 magic phase and the portal soul blighted a dark rider
unit. I used 3 dice to spirit
leech the BSB (at this point I thought he was khorn on a jug since he was
modeled like the other jugs – turned out he was the 3++ reroll dude). I didn’t matter as I didn’t roll high
ehough to cause a wound. I then 3D
caress on the guy. I roll a 2D PoD
with my death wizard for +4 dice (16/7).
I then put the 4 into a purple sun, which doesn’t do anything but block
up. I then 2D Pod with the metal
wizard, but its dispelled. I then
2D searing doom which is also dispelled.
In shooting his high toughness, great armor pays off and I only put 1
wound on the core chariot and 2 onto a gorebeast. My caster, trying to pick off a dog unit manages to roll 2
1s to hit and a 2 to wound.
Turn 1 – Warriors of Chaos
Mike never does move much, but he does stretch out a little to space
out the dogs. He triggers the last
forest, which is also normal.
Mike rolls a 7/5 magic phase, and again the portal soul blights my dark
rider unit. Mike rolls 3 for
spirit leech which I dispel and he fails caress. The purple sun moves back towards me and I let it end.
Turn 2 – Dark Elves
No surprise, I have no charges this turn. I move around to stay in shooting range but not give up
charges. I consider moving my
hydras and characters outside 32 inches to neuter his magic and any ability to
affect me at all – but that’s not fun, even if it does get me a 11/9 win
against one of the best guys in the country. I do move back though to force him to move out if he wants
to get into range – stretching his lines so I can squeeze a unit into the back
to each soft innards.
I roll a mighty 3/2 magic phase, and the portal knocks an armor save
off a dark rider unit. I 2D PoD
for metal caster which he dispelled.
I then throw the last for the level 4, getting 4 dice (7/2). I 4D spirit leech on the BSB, doing a
wound (this is where I find out that it was actually a dude on a demonic mount
with a 3++ as he makes his save).
My shooting doesn’t even cause a wound.
Turn 2 – Warriors of Chaos
Mike has no charges and continues to stretch his bubble.
He rolls a 5/2 magic phase and the portal again knocks the armor save
off a dark rider unit (leaving it with none). He throws 3 dice to caress my level 4 and I scroll it. He then throws 2 at spirit leech at my
general. I throw my 2 dice but
fail to reroll. He then rolls a 5,
meaning I need a 3+ to not die. I
roll a 2. I use my event reroll,
but roll a 1. The hydra next to
him then panics, as does a unit of harpies. Roll my distance and I’m putting harpies at the board edge
and picking up not only my general but my hydra.
But at least I wasn’t a dick and hid. Just a loser ;).
Turn 3 – Dark Elves
Still no charges for me.
The harpies do rally though.
I continue to press the bubble.
I move up the shades to get the assassin onto the wounded
gorebeast. Plan was to quickly
open up the line by killing one chariot in my turn and the other in his with
stand and shoot followed up by my assassin striking first. I’d lose some to impacts, but I should
still have enough shades to kill dogs the other softness.
I roll an 8/6 magic phase.
The portal wildform a units of harpies. He scrolls 8 dice final transmutation at his block of
warriors.
My shooting does nothing… not even the assassin. Suck.
Turn 3 – Warriors of Chaos
The wounded chariot charges the shades, and I put a wound on… just
1. The other charges and the
shades hold to not flee off the table.
The skullcrushers charge harpies, which hold. The core chariot, needing an 11, charges dark riders, making
the stand but failing the charge.
The others all get in.
Mike rolls up a 6/3 magic phase.
The portal fireballs his BSB, but he makes his saves. I dispel a 3D spirit leech at a
hydra. He then caresses my
BSB. I fail my charmed shield and
he does 2 wounds, getting 1 back.
He then puts Doom on my last hydra.
In combat, the harpies fail their fear and go pop. Impact hits do 8 wounds to the
shades. My assassin kills the
wounded chariot and then gets run down.
Turn 4 – Dark Elves
I declare the second half the game to be my half (down 1000 points) and
so I put in two charges to start the second half of the game. The dark riders flank the dog unit and
the hydra flanks the skull crushers.
I roll a 4/3 magic phase and the portal wildforms my hydra… yay. I use my dice to dispel doom on the
hydra.
The dark riders easily pop the dogs. The one skullcrusher manages to just do 1 wound to the
hydra. My handlers do nothing and
the hydra does 2. He makes his
saves but I win combat on static.
He holds but fails to reform on steadfast.
Turn 4 – Warriors of Chaos
Mike has no counter charges, and so after moving around he rolls a 10/6
magic phase. The portal casts
speed of light on the hydra. I
allow a 3D spirit leech (cast on a 14) on my BSB. He rolls a 6 but I roll a 5 and so only take a wound. He then puts caress on my BSB, which I
fail to dispel. I take off the
BSB.
Having lost his frenzy, the skull crushers are forced to take a fear
test – but they pass. The hydra
does 1 wound to break steadfast but he doesn’t break and turns to face… uhoh.
Turn 5 – Dark Elves
It’s my turn again, but I don’t have much to do. I move around to try to maximize what
has been very disappointing shooting.
I roll a 6/4 magic phase but he dispels my casting of final
transmutation on the BSB. The
portal does soul blight my hydra…doh.
I also put 1 die into Power of Darkness for +4 dice (10/4). I then Irresistible searing doom on the
other crusher unit, doing 5 wounds.
I roll a 7 for no consequences.
My shooting blows off a unit of dogs, kills 2 hellstriders and has the
core chariot passing his saves.
The skullcrushers again pass their fear test. The hydra takes 2, does nothing and breaks. I do get away though.
Turn 5 – Warriors of Chaos
The crushers charge and catch the fleeing hydra. The hellstriders charge the front of a
unit of dark riders. The core
chariot flanks a unit.
Having moved a unit of dark riders into the water last turn (and
passing the test) to get into range of dogs, I now fail my test on a 6 and pick
up the unit, leaving the hellstriders without their expected combat.
The magic phase is 6/4 and the portal soul blights his caster. I deny caress and spirit leech does 1
wound to my level 2.
The dark riders lose 3 and hold against the chariot.
Turn 6 – Dark Elves
My turn 6 and I try to grab the points in my reach. A dark rider unit rears the core
chariot and my level 2 charges the solo general.
I’m thinking at this point that I can do a few wounds to the general
and run him down. I have 2 left
and while he will hit on 3s and wound on 4s he shouldn’t be able to do 2 wounds
to me. I will then have 3 strength
5 attacks to try to take his test down a little more. It was a good plan and would give me a big swing back
towards parody.
I roll an 8/5 magic phase and then the portal wildforms my caster
making him T5 with S6 attacks… yay.
I decide not to be over reaching with my magic and just chuck all 8 to
final trans the BSB. I miscast,
and don’t see the 6 to kill him. I
then roll a 4 on the table, and while I thankfully don’t kill myself I do wound
myself and his general. My 2
wounds up is now 1… no longer looking so hot.
I kill the dogs off in shooting, leaving just the chariot between me
and the bonus points.
I lose the unit that the chariot had charged, but kill the chariot from
the rear and pick up the bonus points.
My wizard then dies… he only did 1 wound. I realize now that while we were in challenge, he didn’t
roll on his table and so the very slim change that he would kill himself to
become either a spawn or a daemon price (and give up all points) was missed… oh
well, would have been a dumb reason to not lose.
Having secured the win, Mike doesn’t bother with his last turn as there
are no charges and nothing is worth the risk of sucking his caster into the warp. He can make the block the closest unit
so there isn’t a chance the fireball would pick something off for me.
In the end I was happy with the decision I made not to hide like a
bi*ch and keep myself out the range of his death caster. I could have just poured all my
shooting into the three chariots at no risk to myself and gotten a small win,
and that might be the only way I can beat that list – but I don’t want to be
that guy and I felt and feel no shame in losing to Mike Gerald. We shook hands and I wished him luck in
taking the event (he got third).
No comments:
Post a Comment