Celesticon - Missions

I’ve played at Celesticon the last 3 years, since the convention began.  Normally run by my friend Doc, it seems that this year he was promoted to management and so isn’t available to run it.  He asked me if would take over, and I couldn’t say no.  This will be my 5^th event, and first not at Great Escape.  Doc said that he would provide me with his terrain and cloth boards along with trophies and prizes as I haven’t yet had a chance to raise those items.  My max player count will be 32 players.

One of the comments I’ve received about my Bonus Victory Point style event, is that it just changes a little a win on the 20-0 scale, but doesn’t further break up in the same why that Bonus Battle points do.  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a 20-0 style mission with bonus victory points, but I decided to give it a try and Celesticon seemed like a good place to do that.  Doing it mid-year at the CoC just seemed to be counter the yearly cycle that Great Escape maintains.  So these three missions are 18-0 with 2 bonus points.

Mission 1: All the Colors of the Wind

Deployment – Dawn Attack

Terrain – All forests are blood forests

Special Rules: Specific lores receive a +2 to cast on specified turns.  When receiving the bonus, a miscast requires 2 roles on the table with the opponent choosing which result occurs.  Bound spells count as lores contained in army books if they don’t directly use a spell from a lore.

Lore	Turns
Fire, Beasts, Shadow & Death	1-2
Lores contained in Army books	3-4
Metal, Light, Heavens & Life	5-6

An army that contain no wizards gets +1 to dispel in all cases.

Bonus Victory Points:

100 – For each channeling model killed

50 – Each bound spell killed (only once per model)

Bonus Battle Points (1 each):

Kill general

Have more banners in terrain features than your opponent, based on model not unit.

This mission is a modification of a mission I ran early in the year at the CoC (and one I borrowed from another event).  I kept the lore table the same, but changed magic bonus to +2 instead of D3.  I also added miscast to provide a negative as well as a positive.

Mission 2: Cloaked in Fog

Deployment – Blood and Glory

Special Rules: At the beginning of each GAME turn, 4d6 are rolled, the total being the maximum line of sight available for that game turn.

Bonus Victory Points:

300 – breaking without being broken

100 – breaking first if both broken

Bonus Battle Points (1 each):

Kill a model in a challenge

Most expensive core unit alive.

I think this mission is interesting as it adds a level of predicable randomness to the game.  Most often it won’t affect the game to much, but may limit shooting such as cannons at their farther ranges.  With an average of 14” it shouldn’t prevent charges.

Mission 3: King of the Hill

Deployment – Battle Line

Terrain – Hill in center of table is Anvil of Value, but only effecting units with models on hill.

Special Rules: Watchtower ending

Bonus Victory Points:

300 – most wounds in contact with hill.

Bonus Battle Points (1 each):

Most banners outside of 12” of center based on the physical model

Destroy most expensive magic item.

This mission has a little for both players.  While the hill gives 300 points, possible granting a win or shifting the 18-0 scale a point or two, controlling outside the hill nets you an automatic +1.  The hill granting magic attacks (but not working with banner of world dragon – that would just be unfair), will help to ensure that Vampires don’t get a big advantage.

Overall, as my first event outside of my traditional gaming environment, I’m interested to see what other people think of my ideas of how Warhammer can be played.  I hope these missions provide the players with an interesting, dynamic event.  Unlike the CoC, I will be providing them ahead of time as all people have to email me to register.

Celesticon – Wrap-Up

wow, on the fourth floor is the... fourth floor

So that’s my third Celesticon into the records.  A 2/1 event with my only loss going to the undefeated and second place High Elf army.  I thought he was going to take overall, but it seemed that the final score had equal weighting between the three scores (paint, battle and sports), and not based on the actual points.  Overall ended up going to Michael Hengl of Leadership 2 and his Orcs & Goblins.  I believe he only went 2/1, like me, but the army has a wonderful paint job (not done by Michael, though he is a great painter in his own right) and of course Michael is a fun guy to play.

I’m not sure if I will return to Celesticon next year.  Is 30 bucks to get into the convention for a single day (with no cost for the event).  It also takes a nearly a full tank of gas for the 2.5 hour drive each way.  With none of my group going, that makes for a very long, very early solo drive which is a big drag on the day.  Maybe if I can get some company next year I will be more positive on attendance.

Doc does run a smooth event though, and it would be a shame to miss it as it’s a good time.  It’s just the cost (70+ bucks after gas and food) and the 5 hours in the car.  If I can get someone to split gas, it drops the cost to 50 bucks and helps resolve some of the drive issue.  Three or four people just would help that much more.

I have decided that I dislike the Focus Familiar, though it had an occasional use.  Maybe if I had a wizard in combat more and wanted to cast offensive spells, but it just didn’t trigger enough for me to keep paying for it – back to Tome of Furion.  I have also decided that the level 2 on the metal wizard probably isn’t worth it.  Metal is just to conditional of spell, and Final Transmutation just seems to be a secondary for if my death caster dies.  I just want the Searing Doom and Dispel Scroll, so I will be changing for that.  Maybe I’ll consider a second fighty character, maybe with Ring of Hotek and move the dispel scroll to the Level 4 instead of the tome of furion.  We’ll see.  I think I have 3 events scheduled before the book is gone (Infernal Zoo, a CoC and possibly North Star depending on the timing).  Of them, only North Star and maybe the CoC will have me playing this army.  Infernal Zoo will be some true skaven fun.

Dark Elves – 27w/10l/1d

Ogres – 2w/3l/0d

Skaven – 3w/4l/1d

Singles – 23w/13l/1d

Doubles – 8w/3l/0d

Overall – 32w/17l/2d

Celesticon – Round 3 – Nate Ramirez – Vampire Counts

The Mission: Battleline

The List

Vampire Lord, General, Aura of Dark Majesty, Barded Nightmare, Level 4, Lore of Vampires, Quickblood, Shield, Armor of Destiny, Ogre Blade

Necromancer, Level 2, Lore of Vampires, Dispel Scroll, Ruby Ring of Ruin

Necromancer, Level 1, Lore of Vampires

35 Crypt Ghouls

5 Dire wolves

5 Dire wolves

37 Zombies, banner

34 Zombies, banner

9 Black Knights, full command, lances, banner of the barrows

4 Crypt Horrors

4 Crypt Horrors

2 Fellbats

2 Fellbats

2 Fellbats

Terrorgheist

Varghulf

Nate started off our game by telling me he is a newer player.  I would have to say, that by looking at this list I would have disagreed.  I think this is a really well balanced list.  I think that if Nate sticks with this list, once he picks up more experience he will do really well.  I think the only reason Nate didn’t beat me was due to some of the choices he made.  He and I talked about it afterwards, and I think next time he will get a solid victory.

Magic

For magic I picked up searing doom and transmutation of lead for my metal caster.  For Death I picked up Spirit Leech, carass, soul blight and doom and darkness (once again, would have dropped but I rolled that damn fear spell).  I miss tome of furion.

Nate took Raise Dead, Gaze of Nagash, and Hellish vigor on his level 4 (yes, I know, that’s 3… be patient).  His level 2 took wind of death.  All three wizards took invocation (see, I can count!).

I wasn’t too worried about his magic, just the damn healing.  Gaze could also be something I wouldn’t like.  He could raise as many zombies as he liked; without purple sun I couldn’t touch those units.

Deployment

For deployment Nate leaves me space on the left for my shades (very nice of him), but in order to use it I would have to move through both units of zombies and the ghouls.  No Thanks! But good play as it blocked off a bunch of the board for me.  Fortunately, those zombies would sit there all game, only moving up the few inches needed to grow larger.  The center of the table consisted of the knight unit, flanked on both sides by the crypt horrors and all the chaff.  The terrorgeist took the right flank, pushing out my shades.

Having like half his drops, I went with my normal split, dark riders everywhere, hydras and characters in the center.  With the terrorgeist outside of the general’s 12” bubble, I put my shades up just outside of 18” of the terrorgeist, free from screams but also in range to step up and open up with both assassins should I get to go first.  I vanguard up, keeping movement in mind and getting into fire positions.  I wanted to shoot the fellbats, so not having that -1 for movement was key to compensate for skirmish.

Once again, I don’t get to go first… BAH! For the third time in a row.

Turn 1 – Vampire Counts

Nate advances strongly, putting his chaff way out in the open, all angled towards his center.  He said that he normally uses his chaff to funnel to his knights, horrors and terrorgeist; and that’s what it looked like he was trying to do.  I think he was doing it a little early, and trying to funnel too many units at once and didn’t set up his units to really take advantage of it.

He rolls an 8/4 magic phase.  I dispel Gaze at a unit of dark riders.  I allow hellish vigore on the terrorgeist (not being afraid of reroll wound on 2s any more than just wounding on 2s).  He fails to raise dead.  I then don’t care about adding zombies to the two bunker units – so many that he hits the board edge.  I can see this being his normal tactic, but I was obviously not in a position to threaten them so it seemed kind of a waste.

Scream is out of range and there is no combat.

Turn 1 – Dark Elves

Since it was my goal to kill all his chaff on this round, I accept his invite to charge.  Harpies go into the dogs up front and center.  The hydra goes in some bats, the shades go into some dogs, and the other shades into bats.  No having shades to shoot the terrorgeist with sucked, but I had this unit of dark riders on the hill so I charge forward to see if I can’t get lucky with some static combat and at least knock his scream down for later turns and shooting clean up.

I make sure to move my BSB into a position so that every combat gets his benefit for the fear tests.  I also try to chaff up the knights, knowing that the Varghulf causes terror and my harpies will be on their own.

I roll a 7/5 magic phase.  He dispels my metal casters power of darkness.  I fail a 3 die searing doom on the knights.  I then get of soulblight into one of the shade combats.

I shoot with what little shooting I have left and put 1 wound on the left crypt ghouls.

In combat I blow through all the chaff, only losing 1 harpy.  I don’t over run, and since my charges hasn’t been that far he didn’t really suck me in much.  In the terrorgeist combat I manage to put 2 wounds through, and lose 2 but thanks to the banner, hill and charge I put 3 more wounds onto the beast.

Turn 2 – Vampire Counts

My prediction comes to pass and the Varghulf terrors away the blocking harpies.  It then redirects into the other unit of harpies, which also fail their terror test.  The hydra flees from the knights, which redirect to push the second unit of harpies even farther back.  One of the crypt horrors charge the harpies again, but fail to redirect.  All of his charges now fail thanks to the single unit of harpies being so far away – but they all charge at the same target, keeping their line fairly well.

A 5/3 magic phase sees me allowing gaze of nagash on the BSB, which he charmed shields and saves all wounds.  I then fail to stop a bubbled hellish vigor (which misses the terrorgeist).

The terrorgeist, now neutered, fails to wound.

In combat, my 4 dark riders roll 4 1s to hit.  The terrorgeist kills 1 dark rider.  Wound versus banner make means my musician wins me combat and the nasty crumbles to dust at the cost of half a dark rider unit (yay!).

Turn 2 – Dark Elves

With the chaff all gone, I have no charges to start my second turn.

One of the harpy units runs off the table, but the other – and the hydra – rallies.

A mighty 2/1 magic phase sees me cast power of darkness for +3 dice (5/1).  I then put it all into searing doom on the knights which draws out the dispel scroll.

3 dark rider units fail to even wound a crypt horror.  The egg likewise doesn’t do any wounds.  The assassin and shades shows them how it’s done by putting 5 wounds on the left horrors.

Turn 3 – Vampire Counts

The knights charge a harpy unit, which flees to the table edge.  There is then a redirection into a hydra.

An 8/6 magic phase sees me dispelling hellish vigor into the hydra combat.  I also dispel raise dead.  I also him to invoke in the corner to put 11 zombies onto each unit.

In combat, the hydra takes 2 wounds and then gets run down after doing nothing.  He overruns into the fleeing harpies, killing them and reforming to face my army (with a hydra on his back).

Turn 3 – Dark Elves

I charge a unit of shades and my BSB into a unit of crypt horrors.  I do not put my hydra into the rear of the knights, as tempting as it was.

I roll an 11/6 magic phase.  I spirit leech the Varghulf, which he allows.  I get a lucky 7 wounds through and he dies.  I get back 2 dice (13/6).  I then irresistibly cast soulblight on the horrors.  It costs me my death wizard.  He then dispels searing doom.

In shooting I do 1 wound to the other crypt horrors.  The hydra blows kisses, killing 3 knights.  1 put a wound on the fellbats hiding in the back.

In combat the shades get 4 wounds through, losing a shade.  He pops and I overrun out of the knights vision.

Turn 4 – Vampire Counts

With no charges available, Nate moves the ghouls to try to block off the far dark rider unit.  The bats keep trying to hide.  He rolls a 9/2 magic phase and gets off raise dead, putting 14 zombies in front of the hydra (he only has 12 models left though).

Turn 4 – Dark Elves

The hydra takes his challenge and charges into the 12 zombies.  The BSB and shades go into the second horror unit.  I try to put a dark rider unit into the flank (since I won’t have soulblight this time) but they fail their charge.

After he channels 3 times, I get a disappointing 7/9 dice phase.  I throw it all at searing doom, getting my needed 6s and taking off the knights.  I then take off my second wizard thanks to the wonderful warp.

In shooting I manage to put 2 wounds on the general.

The hydra blows through the zombies.  The BSB, shades and Assassin mange to get 3 wounds through, losing 3 shades for their effort.  I win, but leave 4 wounds behind.

Turn 5 – Vampire Counts

Nate moves his general around some.  His ghouls keep trying to pin down that dark rider.

With a 5/4 magic phase he irresistibly casts invocation.  The spell heals a wound on the horrors, and a wound on the general.  He then does a wound to himself with the miscast.  Phew!

In combat, I manage to get 3 wounds through, and the ghouls crumble.

Turn 5 – Dark Elves

On my turn I move around to surround the general from every angle but the ones he can see.  I’m pretty sure that Nate is ready to just pick up his 1 wound general, but I convince him you always need to get the full story.  So we count out the shots to roll them all together.

29 repeater crossbows hit – that’s 2 units of shades, all the remaining dark riders and my BSB.

I manage 7 wounds on his T5.

He makes 3 armor saves.

And all 4 ward saves… poop.

I then shoot with both assassins…

I hit 5 times, wound 4.  He makes 1 armor save… and then only 2 ward saves.

The fell bats then crumble, leaving 2 huge units of zombies and a unit of ghouls.  As I can’t touch those units, and he can no longer touch me, we end the game.

Yuck… two casters sucking themselves into the warp.  Made me grateful that the scaled system only mattered for tiebreaker and not actual placement.

Celesticon – Round 2 – Joe Finlayson – High Elves

The Mission: Blood and Glory (The first player to break their opponent gains 250 bonus points, not automatic win)

The List

Prince, General, Star Dragon, Enchanted Shield, Sword of Might, Talisman of Preservation, Other Tricksters Shard

Noble, BSB, Dragon Armor, Shield, Barded Steed, Ogre Blade, Dragon Helm

Noble, Great Eagle, White Lion Cloak, Lance, Charmed Shield, Golden Crown of Atrazzar

Mage, Level 2, Lore of High Magic, Elven Steed, Dispel Scroll, Opal Amulet

10 Silver Helms, full command, shields

5 Ellyrian Reavers, Bows and Spears

5 Ellyrian Reavers, Bows and Spears

5 Ellyrian Reavers, Bows and Spears

5 Ellyrian Reavers, Bows and Spears

5 Ellyrian Reavers

7 Dragon Princes of Caledor, full command, banner of world dragon

Frost Phoenix

Frost Phoenix

This list looked really familiar… why?  Because it’s basically the list I brought.  Here is the problem.  Frost Phoenix are better than Hydras.  No much better I was wondering how I was going to kill one.  Also they are fast enough that my hydras can’t run from them.  The dragon princes being doubly immune to my metal magic didn’t look that good for me.  I wasn’t that worried about the dragon.  This list is also similar to my High Elf list, though I think the Reavers should have banners, but that could just be because I build for events that have banner missions and objective missions.  I think I like my list better, this one is too fighty for my tastes, and with no ability that I see to take on slaves and other things that are eventually going to get into a flank or something of the monsters when steadfast holds them up.

Joe did a great job making the army.  It was a dark elf themed high elf army.  He called it a shadow warrior army.  I found that ironic because he didn’t actually field any shadow warriors.  He obviously had made his list after I made mine, since he had taken advantage of the space wolf wolves, which hadn’t yet come out when I made my army.  He also had some cool conversions for his dragon princes (lizardman centuars) and his great eagle (flying carnisour).  He also used the superior black dragon (or is it a warpfire dragon?), which I would have used except I didn’t feel it would hold the bell correctly.

I was actually going to make a post about this army anyways.  This explains why some of the army pictures have a different back ground – I had taken the pictures when they were set up over lunch.

Magic

For magic, Joe rolled up Soul Quench and Arcane Unforging, so a magic missile and the ability to destroy magic items.

I rolled Searing doom and gehenna’s golden hounds for metal magic and spirit leech, soul blight, fate of bjuna and purple sun on my death wizard.  Normally I would have defaulted purple sun against elves, but I had rolled the fear spell, and that was even more worthless.

Deployment

For deployment, Joe put 2 units of dark riders on the left, a phoenix center, with the two heavy cavalry units.  Then the other phoenix, the dragon and eagle and the last two units of fast cavalry.  A very nice deployment.

Mine fairly mirrored his.  I did have less drops though, so his monster placement got to go after, and across from mine.

I scouted my shades on the left flank, and unsurprisenly he moved his two units away with vanguard.  I probably should have been closer to center, but I really didn’t want to be charged first turn by a phoenix without having had the chance to bring out my assassins for the stand and shoot.  I probably just should have put them in my deployment zone.

Also as a good play, Joe didn’t vanguard one of his units in response to my vanguarding up – going for that first turn charge, a very me move.  Joe indicated he had the same dark elf list I was playing, which didn’t surprise me given this high elf list.

Vanguard:

Once again, I did not get the first turn.

Turn 1 – High Elves

Joe did start off with that charge, his spear only (wolf unit without riders) reaver unit charging my dark riders.  I stood and shot, failing to do anything.  He then failed his charge.  The forest he charged through does claim 2 from the unit.

To spite the failed charge, the dragon flies over to give them his kiss of death.

Joe rolled up an 8/4 magic phase and +1A for his phoenix (I didn’t ever check his reading of the dice, but I did know that a 6 was ward save).  He first rolled 6 dice to destroy my dispel scroll.  I decided to scroll it to prevent the ward save.  This was the ONLY benefit of scrolling it.  In hindsight I should have let the spell go.  She would only have taken a wound on a 6+, and then only 1.  By using my scroll I made sure it was used, but by letting the spell go off, it would have stayed on the roll of a 1.  I dispelled his other spell.

The dragon breaths and kills 3 of the dark riders.

Turn 1 – Dark Elves

I spent the first few minutes debating if I should charge the frostheart phoenix with my hydra.  I didn’t think it would go well for me, but I thought I might be able to win the combat.  In the end I decided that since this was my first time playing the phoenix, I would take the swing and see how it goes – as you know I don’t get practice games in and even then I don’t think any of my friends actually play high elves.  So this would be my practice game… and then I failed the charge.  I also charged a dark rider unit into a reaver unit, he fled and I redirected into the silverhelms because otherwise I would be stopped right in the middle of the table and toast on the following turn anyways.  The spears on 2+ Armor at least stood a chance, and if I killed a few the 4 models in the forest would break his steadfast for me.

I also moved the half man dark rider unit between the dragon and phoenix.  I had failed my mark test, so I could only hope that the phoenix would protect me from the charge (very doubtful).

I rolled an 8/5 magic phase.  I then got +4 with power of darkness (12/4).  Then with only 3 dice I irresistibly cast spirit leech on a phoenix.  I do 3 wounds and get another power dice (13/4).  The miscast causes me a wound and 5 dice (8/4).  I then throw 2 dice at a purple sun, which will cover the other phoenix, the dragon and an eagle (and 1 dark rider).  I again irresistibly cast my spell.  Everyone passes their purple sun test, and the miscast doesn’t do anything.  Killing something with that spell would have been so cool… or even all of it.  Oh well, it was doubtful when I cast it.

All, and I mean ALL my shooting fails to even net me 1 wound.  Not good.

The dark riders totally choke against the silver helms but hold.

Turn 2 – High Elves

Joe starts his turn by terror bombing a unit of harpies.  He then redirects into a hydra.  The dragon princes charge by BSB into the flank.  This was a total bonehead on my part.  I checked all the angles, but for the unit behind the phoenix, I just totally spaced it.  The other phoenix charges the other hydra, which flees (now that the dragon princes and other phoenix have declared their charge and can’t recharge).  It does get away, but everyone else (bsb and other hydra) get hit.  Even with the phoenix’s failed charge, it still moves far enough for the dark rider unit to get flanked by the reavers.

Joe rolls a 12/7 magic phase, giving his phoenix +1 to their ward save.  I fail to dispel his item destructor on my general, which kills the crossbow not wardsave.  The other spell cannot be cast as it’s a magic missile and he’s in combat with the BSB.

Bow fire takes down my level 4.  I rolled all 1s and 2s on my armor save, and all 6s on my ward save.  Switch the rolls and I lived, but oh well.  It did involve near his entire army pulling back to shoot me.

The dark rider/silver helm slapfest yields little and holds.  The flanked dark riders die off.  The hydra takes a wound, and does 1 wound but still loses on the charge and runs off the table.  The BSB takes a wound and does a wound and holds and reforms.

Turn 2 – Dark Elves

For my turn 2, I put a unit of harpies into the rear of the dragon princes to try to get some critical static combat (3), which based on the previous combat results should be enough to get me the win.  I also use my egg to buff my BSB and add the extra breath weapon.  My level 2 caster also flanks the silverhelms to add the combat rez and strength 5.  Harpies and Hydra both rally.

I roll a sad 4/3 magic phase, and am in combat.  I fail to cast my first spell.

Shooting only kills 2 Reavers.

In combat the dark rider unit dies to the silver helms.  My caster takes a wound.  He saves all way too much.  My caster holds.  The BSB takes a wound and he fails to wound the harpies.  I win, but he makes his save on BSB.

Turn 3 – High Elves

To start off the turn the Phoenix declares a rear charge on my BSB.  I saw this coming, and lamented his BSB saving that unit, otherwise I would have scored some points and have been able to flee with my BSB.

He doesn’t cast any magic, but still gets the +1 to his ward save.

3 Dark riders die to his shooting.

In combat, the BSB dies to the unit, not the Phoenix.  The harpies lose 1 and flee.  My caster dies to the silverhelms.  And that ends all of my long shot attempts at points.

Turn 3 – Dark Elves

Way down I decide it’s time to throw more points after bad points.  I can’t lose worse, since battle points are just for final tiebreakers, and it could always go my way… right?

I charge the shades into the flank of the dragon princes.  3 dark riders charge into 3 reavers, who fail to do anything on the stand and shoot.

Nothing rallies.

Out of magic casters.

The entire 9 shades and assassin manage to do 6 wounds in shooting, but only 1 goes through on silver helms.

The dark riders lose 1 and kill the three reavers.  My shades lose 3 to the always strikes first, and then together with the assassin manage to kill 2 models.  I lose the combat (3 wounds and 2 banners versus 2 wounds, charge and flank), flee and get run down.  Kind of sad that the Assassin in combat smokes high T/high armor, but can’t get though elf armor since its strength gets worse.

Turn 4 – High Elves

So after a not so good turn on my part, Joe goes it for not the kill (he has that) but the slaughter.

The dragon princes charge the other units of shades.  The silver helms charge the dark riders and the dragon charges the last hydra, the 1 would phoenix having run off, those combats don’t happen though.

Joe doesn’t cast anything magical, but does roll +1S for this phoenix.

In shooting, he blows 2 dark riders off of the right unit (that had just killed reavers in combat), leaving just the champion.

The assassin challenges his BSB out, and nothing happens in the combat.  3 shades get killed and then the unit gets run down.  The hydra

Turn 4 – Dark Elves

On my turn 4 I rally the harpies and run around.

Turn 5 – High Elves

No charges this turn, the phoenixes get +1S and the dark rider champion dies to shooting.

Turn 5 – Dark Elves

The harpies run to ensure I don’t get tabled.  My hydra charges the dragon.

I take down the phoenix with shooting (1 wound left).

In combat the dragon does 1 wound to the hydra, the lord doesn’t do anything.  I then put 7 wounds on the elf.  He makes 1 armor save and then 6 ward saves.  I then breath on the unit, making the elf make another save, which he makes.  I then do 1 wound to the dragon.  With a charge and wound to a wound, they hydra wins combat and the dragon breaks… and gets run the F down!  Moral victory.

Turn 6 – High Elves

To try to make up the moral win, Joe charges with some reavers into the dark riders that just killed the phoenix.  I flee, and avoid secondary charges.

This turn the caster isn’t in combat or not facing someone, so the wizard takes his 8/5 magic phase (+1S for last phoenix).  He gets through large soul quench and takes off the fleeing dark riders and panics the triumphant hydra.

Turn 6 – Dark Elves

Hydra rallies… leaving him and the harpies as my remaining army.  Suffice it to say, I lose, and fairly big (plus he got the 250 points for breaking me first – though I did break him in the end.