Post by ladyloec on Nov 28, 2017 19:11:23 GMT
Game 3: 2500pts Battleline vs Vampire Counts
Armies
My List:
Shadoweaver, Lv4, Asrai Longbow, Acorn of the Ages
BSB, Hagbane, Moonstone, Enchanted Shield
20 Glade Guard, Arcane Bodkins
20 Glade Guard, Hagbane
10 Dryads
21 Wildwood Rangers, Standard and Musician, Banner of Discipline
7 Wardancers
Treeman, Strangle Roots
8 Waywatchers
My Allies/Monsters:
Treeman, Strangleroots
Great Eagle
5 Glade Riders
3 Ogres
His List:
Vampire Lord, Lv4 Death/Vampires*, a combat build with Aura of Dark Majesty, Beguile, Red Fury, Quickblood, Nightshroud, some other magic items, and Great Weapon
Vampire Lv2 I think, with the power that lets you summon skellies beyond starting size
1 or 2 Lv1 Necromancers
Sizeable unit of Skeletons (?40)
Corpse Cart (not sure if this was a mount for one of the Necros, but don't think so)
Terrorgheist
6ish units of 5 Dire Wolves
5 Hexwraiths
1 Spirit Host
(* I haven't spotted yet that he's taking spells from 2 different lores on 1 mage. Takes me a couple of turns to cotton on, but we'll get to it)
His Allies/Monsters:
Terrorgheist with some upgrades
Pre-game Thoughts:
Vampires are an army I know and love, but for my Wood Elves they are a pig to fight, because I can't rout them with a well-timed charge or make them panic from weight of fire. However, an entire army that causes fear makes my Rangers rub their hands with delight, and magical shooting puts paid to any ethereal issues other armies might face. Whilst I do tend to do OK against vamps, decisive victories are rare for my Asrai against dead folk, but let's give it a try.
Spells:
I get Steed of Shadows (swap to Miasma), Pit, Pendulum and Okkams. Not exactly my choice of spells, but I'll roll with it.
Not sure of the distribution, but he has Invocation x3, Raise Dead, Gaze of Nagash, Vanhels, and Spirit Leech (see above RE: slight cock-up)
Miscellaneous Shenanigans
I finally have my beloved Acorn and roll a 2 on the D3 - I make my forests Venom Thickets and place one on either board side in places they won't scatter much because of other terrain.
I pick the secret mission to hold a table quarter - should be easy with my moonstone in tow.
Deployment:
He wins the roll off to choose table side and deploy first unit, but my free forest (another one, I know) goes down first - another Venom Thicket.
He puts all the chaff down first to draw out my deployment. Once done, there is pretty much a solid line of dogs across the table, and behind them (my left to right) are the Spirit Host, Hexwraiths, Corpse Cart, Skellies, then 2 Terrorgheists on the right flank. The only unit not screened are the Hexwraiths, but in fairness to my opponent I don't think he knew at this point that all my shooting was magical.
I have (my left to right) Ogres, Eagle, Hagbane Glade Guard with the mage in a building, Bodkin Glade Guard next to them, Wardancers and 2 Treemen front and centre, then Dryads. At the back in my free forest are my teleporting Rangers and BSB. Waywatchers squeeze on the back of the board by the 2 Terrorgheists - not ideal, but the only place I could fit them.
The dogs all vanguard - one unit faces down my Waywatchers, the rest head roughly forwards.
With +1, I win the roll for first turn.
WE Turn 1:
Movement
Ogres charge dogs, eagle moves up behind chaff line, other combat units advance
Magic
I pit the corpse cart - vamp lord passes init check. I think i tried to miasma something but he dispelled.
Shooting
I kill some of the unengaged chaff units and the Hexwraiths. Waywatchers fail to wound TG1. Uh-oh.
Combat
Ogres run through the dogs
VC Turn 1
Movement
Spirit host (which in all honesty I forgot was there) charges Eagle. Too close to board edge to flee so I hold. Dogs charge waywatchers and 1 makes it through the stand and shoot. Other things shamble. TG 1 moves up to scream the waywatchers, TG 2 moves up to scream the treeman.
Magic
Invocation for more skellies - I let this go. I dispel vanhels once but he casts it again and it goes off to move the skelly unit forwards. Raise dead miscast to conga some zombies in front of the archers.
Shooting
TG1 kills 5 waywatchers. TG2 does 2 to treeman. Ratling gun misfires and explodes itself without firing.
Combat
Waywatchers kill the dog. Spirit host fails to wound the eagle and eagle can't hurt it. Passed break test.
WE Turn 2
Movement
Ogres charge more chaff. Treeman charges TG2. Ambushers come on behind skaven. Rangers teleport to the middle forest.
Magic
Not much of import. I cast Okkams on the dryads to deter a charge.
Shooting
I only kill 3 of the zombies (!!) in front of my glade guard unit. Everything else is too far away or in combat, so the hagbane archers pick off some skeletons. 3 remaining waywatchers take a wound off TG1 I think. Glade Riders kill a ratman or 2, but not enough to panic them.
Combat
Ogres stomp some more chaff and end up in front of the forest occupied by the Skaven. Spirit host and eagle draw combat. Treeman kills TG2 (2 wounds + combat res).
VC Turn 2
Movement
Zombies charge the Glade Guard - too close to stand and shoot so I hold. TG1 moves to the flank of the Rangers. He turns the Skaven to face the ambushers I think. Skelly bunker I think charges the wounded Treman.
Magic
This is when I clock that the Lv4 has both death and vampires spells and because I didn't pick it up at the start of the game I don't know how to deal with it. We speak to the TO, who suggests he remains a Lv4 but loses the death spell. He gets another invocation and a raise dead for more zombies in front of the Ogres this time.
Shooting
He was going to scream the Rangers until I told him they were Ld10, so he finishes off the Waywatchers instead.
Combat
Glade Guard don't quite kill enough Zombies, so they're still in combat and neutered for another turn. Blender lord kills the wounded Treeman.
WE Turn 3
Movement
The Rangers can see the TG, so they charge. Ogres charge the zombies. Glade Riders charge the Skaven. Wardancers charge the Skelly bunker. I turn all my forest spirits around to charge the vamp bunker later.
Magic
This was a low phase - I don't think much if anything happened
Shooting
I whittle some Skellies, but everything else is in combat
Combat
Ogres muller some zombies. The Skaven unit has the Underhive Banner. Which wipes out my riders before they can attack! TG1 bites the dust, and I reform in the forest facing the battle. Glade Guard kill the Zombies. Wardancers do 3+ ward save dance, but he has the other trickster's shard and nightshroud, so between that and the blender vamp's powers I don't get to achieve much, but I pass my break test and stick.
VC Turn 3
Movement
He charges the Skaven into the flank of the Ogres. Skellies are stuck in combat.
Magic
Not sure what happened this phase. I think I let Invocation off to save dice for Hellish Vigor or Vanhels.
Shooting
None
Combat
Ogres and Skaven don't do a huge amount to each other and draw combat. I can't do the 3+ dance again, so the blender lord kills the remaining wardancers and overruns into the building.
WE Turn 4
Movement
I am out of arc to charge the Dryads and Treeman in now, and the Rangers are too far for a likely charge and are holding their table quarter for the secret mission (I wasn't sure if I could charge the unit and leave the BSB behind to hold the table quarter, and time was running short so I didn't ask - if anyone happens to know this, can you mention in comments?).
Magic
Not enough dice for Okkams. I cast Miasma to reduce the skelly bunker's initiative to try and strike simultaneously, but didn't get enough on the D3.
Shooting
Nothing to shoot at
Combat
Don't remember the specifics, but I lose combat, fail my break test, and flee out of the building! Since his unit is too big to fit in the building by tourney rules, we ask the TO and agree he bounces back an inch from the building. I don't remember what happens with the Skaven and Ogres, but this whole time the Eagle and Spirit host have been drawing combat and not hurting one another. He finally gets a wound on the Eagle, who breaks and runs.
VC Turn 4
Movement
He can't charge my fleeing unit because the building is in the way.
Magic
Nothing eventful
Shooting
None
Combat
Can't remember who won out of the Skaven and Ogres.
Out of time so game ends - Minor Wood Elf victory 11-9, plus 6 bonus TP's for me holding the enemy table quarter.
Post game:
There were just so many points in that bunker! If I had the last 2 turns, I would have probably taken the BSB out of the Ranger unit, left him to hold the table quarter, and sent the unit off to try and do some killing, but it wasn't to be. Still, it was a minor victory, and those 6 bonus TP's from the mission ended up winning me the tournament, as otherwise I would've drawn with my game 2 opponent. This was a fun game, and very different to what I usually face and field as Vamps. I hope I get to play him again.
Armies
My List:
Shadoweaver, Lv4, Asrai Longbow, Acorn of the Ages
BSB, Hagbane, Moonstone, Enchanted Shield
20 Glade Guard, Arcane Bodkins
20 Glade Guard, Hagbane
10 Dryads
21 Wildwood Rangers, Standard and Musician, Banner of Discipline
7 Wardancers
Treeman, Strangle Roots
8 Waywatchers
My Allies/Monsters:
Treeman, Strangleroots
Great Eagle
5 Glade Riders
3 Ogres
His List:
Vampire Lord, Lv4 Death/Vampires*, a combat build with Aura of Dark Majesty, Beguile, Red Fury, Quickblood, Nightshroud, some other magic items, and Great Weapon
Vampire Lv2 I think, with the power that lets you summon skellies beyond starting size
1 or 2 Lv1 Necromancers
Sizeable unit of Skeletons (?40)
Corpse Cart (not sure if this was a mount for one of the Necros, but don't think so)
Terrorgheist
6ish units of 5 Dire Wolves
5 Hexwraiths
1 Spirit Host
(* I haven't spotted yet that he's taking spells from 2 different lores on 1 mage. Takes me a couple of turns to cotton on, but we'll get to it)
His Allies/Monsters:
Terrorgheist with some upgrades
Pre-game Thoughts:
Vampires are an army I know and love, but for my Wood Elves they are a pig to fight, because I can't rout them with a well-timed charge or make them panic from weight of fire. However, an entire army that causes fear makes my Rangers rub their hands with delight, and magical shooting puts paid to any ethereal issues other armies might face. Whilst I do tend to do OK against vamps, decisive victories are rare for my Asrai against dead folk, but let's give it a try.
Spells:
I get Steed of Shadows (swap to Miasma), Pit, Pendulum and Okkams. Not exactly my choice of spells, but I'll roll with it.
Not sure of the distribution, but he has Invocation x3, Raise Dead, Gaze of Nagash, Vanhels, and Spirit Leech (see above RE: slight cock-up)
Miscellaneous Shenanigans
I finally have my beloved Acorn and roll a 2 on the D3 - I make my forests Venom Thickets and place one on either board side in places they won't scatter much because of other terrain.
I pick the secret mission to hold a table quarter - should be easy with my moonstone in tow.
Deployment:
He wins the roll off to choose table side and deploy first unit, but my free forest (another one, I know) goes down first - another Venom Thicket.
He puts all the chaff down first to draw out my deployment. Once done, there is pretty much a solid line of dogs across the table, and behind them (my left to right) are the Spirit Host, Hexwraiths, Corpse Cart, Skellies, then 2 Terrorgheists on the right flank. The only unit not screened are the Hexwraiths, but in fairness to my opponent I don't think he knew at this point that all my shooting was magical.
I have (my left to right) Ogres, Eagle, Hagbane Glade Guard with the mage in a building, Bodkin Glade Guard next to them, Wardancers and 2 Treemen front and centre, then Dryads. At the back in my free forest are my teleporting Rangers and BSB. Waywatchers squeeze on the back of the board by the 2 Terrorgheists - not ideal, but the only place I could fit them.
The dogs all vanguard - one unit faces down my Waywatchers, the rest head roughly forwards.
With +1, I win the roll for first turn.
WE Turn 1:
Movement
Ogres charge dogs, eagle moves up behind chaff line, other combat units advance
Magic
I pit the corpse cart - vamp lord passes init check. I think i tried to miasma something but he dispelled.
Shooting
I kill some of the unengaged chaff units and the Hexwraiths. Waywatchers fail to wound TG1. Uh-oh.
Combat
Ogres run through the dogs
VC Turn 1
Movement
Spirit host (which in all honesty I forgot was there) charges Eagle. Too close to board edge to flee so I hold. Dogs charge waywatchers and 1 makes it through the stand and shoot. Other things shamble. TG 1 moves up to scream the waywatchers, TG 2 moves up to scream the treeman.
Magic
Invocation for more skellies - I let this go. I dispel vanhels once but he casts it again and it goes off to move the skelly unit forwards. Raise dead miscast to conga some zombies in front of the archers.
Shooting
TG1 kills 5 waywatchers. TG2 does 2 to treeman. Ratling gun misfires and explodes itself without firing.
Combat
Waywatchers kill the dog. Spirit host fails to wound the eagle and eagle can't hurt it. Passed break test.
WE Turn 2
Movement
Ogres charge more chaff. Treeman charges TG2. Ambushers come on behind skaven. Rangers teleport to the middle forest.
Magic
Not much of import. I cast Okkams on the dryads to deter a charge.
Shooting
I only kill 3 of the zombies (!!) in front of my glade guard unit. Everything else is too far away or in combat, so the hagbane archers pick off some skeletons. 3 remaining waywatchers take a wound off TG1 I think. Glade Riders kill a ratman or 2, but not enough to panic them.
Combat
Ogres stomp some more chaff and end up in front of the forest occupied by the Skaven. Spirit host and eagle draw combat. Treeman kills TG2 (2 wounds + combat res).
VC Turn 2
Movement
Zombies charge the Glade Guard - too close to stand and shoot so I hold. TG1 moves to the flank of the Rangers. He turns the Skaven to face the ambushers I think. Skelly bunker I think charges the wounded Treman.
Magic
This is when I clock that the Lv4 has both death and vampires spells and because I didn't pick it up at the start of the game I don't know how to deal with it. We speak to the TO, who suggests he remains a Lv4 but loses the death spell. He gets another invocation and a raise dead for more zombies in front of the Ogres this time.
Shooting
He was going to scream the Rangers until I told him they were Ld10, so he finishes off the Waywatchers instead.
Combat
Glade Guard don't quite kill enough Zombies, so they're still in combat and neutered for another turn. Blender lord kills the wounded Treeman.
WE Turn 3
Movement
The Rangers can see the TG, so they charge. Ogres charge the zombies. Glade Riders charge the Skaven. Wardancers charge the Skelly bunker. I turn all my forest spirits around to charge the vamp bunker later.
Magic
This was a low phase - I don't think much if anything happened
Shooting
I whittle some Skellies, but everything else is in combat
Combat
Ogres muller some zombies. The Skaven unit has the Underhive Banner. Which wipes out my riders before they can attack! TG1 bites the dust, and I reform in the forest facing the battle. Glade Guard kill the Zombies. Wardancers do 3+ ward save dance, but he has the other trickster's shard and nightshroud, so between that and the blender vamp's powers I don't get to achieve much, but I pass my break test and stick.
VC Turn 3
Movement
He charges the Skaven into the flank of the Ogres. Skellies are stuck in combat.
Magic
Not sure what happened this phase. I think I let Invocation off to save dice for Hellish Vigor or Vanhels.
Shooting
None
Combat
Ogres and Skaven don't do a huge amount to each other and draw combat. I can't do the 3+ dance again, so the blender lord kills the remaining wardancers and overruns into the building.
WE Turn 4
Movement
I am out of arc to charge the Dryads and Treeman in now, and the Rangers are too far for a likely charge and are holding their table quarter for the secret mission (I wasn't sure if I could charge the unit and leave the BSB behind to hold the table quarter, and time was running short so I didn't ask - if anyone happens to know this, can you mention in comments?).
Magic
Not enough dice for Okkams. I cast Miasma to reduce the skelly bunker's initiative to try and strike simultaneously, but didn't get enough on the D3.
Shooting
Nothing to shoot at
Combat
Don't remember the specifics, but I lose combat, fail my break test, and flee out of the building! Since his unit is too big to fit in the building by tourney rules, we ask the TO and agree he bounces back an inch from the building. I don't remember what happens with the Skaven and Ogres, but this whole time the Eagle and Spirit host have been drawing combat and not hurting one another. He finally gets a wound on the Eagle, who breaks and runs.
VC Turn 4
Movement
He can't charge my fleeing unit because the building is in the way.
Magic
Nothing eventful
Shooting
None
Combat
Can't remember who won out of the Skaven and Ogres.
Out of time so game ends - Minor Wood Elf victory 11-9, plus 6 bonus TP's for me holding the enemy table quarter.
Post game:
There were just so many points in that bunker! If I had the last 2 turns, I would have probably taken the BSB out of the Ranger unit, left him to hold the table quarter, and sent the unit off to try and do some killing, but it wasn't to be. Still, it was a minor victory, and those 6 bonus TP's from the mission ended up winning me the tournament, as otherwise I would've drawn with my game 2 opponent. This was a fun game, and very different to what I usually face and field as Vamps. I hope I get to play him again.