RE.Lee's "Record of Lost Colonies"

[Prince of Spires]

Indeed looks like a nice list.

"Time for the last piece!" - thought Arkhan as, with a single gesture, he raised thousands of undead just at the edge of the forrest.

You forgot to add a "and none could stand in his way" here, as per GW writing rules...

Depending on how the game goes, I would probably switch some dwarves into the tower late game. Early turns you want as many boots on the ground and keep the undead away from the manor. Late game you really want to be sure that you keep the manor. We'll see how it goes.

Rod

[RE.Lee]

Yup, rotating units in and out of the main objective is likely to be the key strategy for the Defenders. Correspondingly, the Attackers will want to tie up any reinforcements with their own unit just to prevent reshuffling like that. Luckily the Undead are really good at keeping things in combat

My Dwarf-playing friend has confirmed his presence, so I'll be in charge of the Tomb Kings. Thats nice, as I haven't used them in a while and I'm especially happy to be able to play Arkhan. Lets hope noone can stand in his way

[SpellArcher]

I'm especially happy to be able to play Arkhan.

Practice your best 'evil laughter'!

[RE.Lee]

Oh believe me - I'm practicing (especially when watching Scooby Doo with my toddler - those villains!).

Meanwhile, the Dwarf player dropped his list:

Runesmith, GW, Stone, Spellbreaking, Ring of Thori
Longbeards, 26, command, stubborn
Hammerers, 17, command
Organ gun, accuracy
Cannon, forging
Cannon

As expected - a mix of rock-hard infantry and solid shooting. I'm happy to see there's no Gyrocopters - this should make the approach a bit more straightforward if not exactly easier. Those cannons sound like trouble for my Sphinxes - I'd be lucky to see one get into combat. Organ Gun is a nice counter for my TGs (especially since the Pistoliers were dropped in exchange for a Hellblaster in the Empire list!).

Well, I'll wait to see what my VC comrade is bringing. Hoping for some GGs with a Blender Lord.

[RE.Lee]

I just couldn't resist making an Arkhan conversion. The mage from the the Island of Blood set looked like a perfect starting point (especially since it was already canibalized for my Teclis conversion).



I'll hopefully have him at least primed from Saturday!

[SpellArcher]

It looks like the IOB Mage is very, very upset about something!

[Prince of Spires]

That's a great use of the IOB mage. I like it. He really looks like he was mean that way.

Have fun with the battle coming weekend.

Rod

[RE.Lee]

Thanks! I took care of most of the horrible, horrible mold lines visible on that last picture and undercoated him with Zandri Dust - should be enough for battle. I'm almost done with the Manor, too - just a few finishing touches on the Tower and its finally ready!

The VC player and came up with this list:

Ghoul King
Wight King
29 Ghouls
19 Grave Guard
3 Vargheists

Pretty straightforward - we want to start chewing through those defenders as early as possible, and since this is a flanking force they should be in their face right from turn 2. We're considering dropping the Wight King for Red Fury and +2 attacks on the Strigoi - that would really make him a mincing machine!

[SpellArcher]

we want to start chewing through those defenders as early as possible

We're considering dropping the Wight King for Red Fury and +2 attacks on the Strigoi

Maxing out the Lord is rarely a bad move.

[RE.Lee]

We'll probably go down that route. I'm also dropping the Screaming Skull Catapult (it never hits anyway) to upgrade my Prince to a King and give him the Sword of Antiheroes in case he gets an IC unit to the flank (or wherever). Even without that bonus the unit packs a respectable 36 S5 attacks at WS6. Should be enough

[SpellArcher]

I think you're on the right track.



Quick question if you don't mind, do you have End Times, Thanquol? If so, what is it like?

[RE.Lee]

I do! I find it a good read - second only to Nagash in quality. Skaven fight with all their main opponents - Empire, Dwarfs and Lizardmen in really interesting battles (love the Karak-Eight-Peek's Verdun feel). It shares the problems of other ET books - bad guys just keep winning, though there is less deus ex machina stuff than in Glottkin (which just got silly).

Might be a bit biased, but I recommend it

[SpellArcher]

Thanks RE. An independent shop fairly near me has a copy and I'm pondering.

One attraction is it has the Stormfiend info and I know they're pretty nasty. Might run into them at a tournament sometime and forewarned is forearmed! Much else in the way of rules?

[RE.Lee]

Stormfiends are incredible, though the rare slots are already pretty good in the army. They are a bit soft - T4 W4 and mostly only light armour - but at 85 points a piece its a good bargain. I think I'd skip the Double the Death rule (re-roll to wound) to make them a bit more balanced.

Other than that there's Thanquol on Boneripper, who is (are?) a beast: T5 W8 4++, regenerating a wound on a 5+ each turn and unbreakable to boot. Very good caster, customizable to either hit hard in close combat or fire 2 warpfire shots per turn. A one man army.

The Vermin Lords are cool, too.

There are also rules for fighting in the jungle and a campaign mode, thats ok.

[SpellArcher]

Stormfiends are incredible, though the rare slots are already pretty good in the army. They are a bit soft - T4 W4 and mostly only light armour - but at 85 points a piece its a good bargain. I think I'd skip the Double the Death rule (re-roll to wound) to make them a bit more balanced.

They have some kind of deep strike deployment option don't they?

The Vermin Lords are cool, too.

I forgot, I fought one about a year ago. He was harder than the generic VL but he still went down in the end to sustained shooting/magic.

[RE.Lee]

Yup, they dig tunnels, as is the custom among Skaven

The first battle in the End Times campaign is done and, as always, it was quite a ride. I'll have a report up sometime soon. Meanwhile a teaser - will Heldenhame hold?

[SpellArcher]

No wizard should get that close to a googly monster!

[RE.Lee]

He was intercepted by some brave Greatswords, but lets not get ahead of ourselves

Armies:

Tomb Kings:
Arkhan the Black
Level 1 Liche Priest (Nehekhara)
Tomb Prince, THW
28 Archers, command
3 Chariots
2x5 horse archers
29 Tomb Guards, halberds, command
Warsphinx, Fiery Roar
Necrosphinx
Screaming Skull Catapult

Vampire Counts
Ghoul King, Dragonbane Gem
Wight King, Sword of Biting
29 Ghouls
19 Grave Guard
3 Vargheists

Dwarfs:
Runesmith, Rune of Spellbreaking, Fiery Ring of Thori, shield,
Dragon Slayer, Master Rune of Swiftness,
Longbeards, 23, stubborn, command,
Slayers, 23, command +Giant Slayer, Rune of Speed
Organ Gun, Rune of Accuracy,
Cannon, Rune of Forging

Empire:
Grand Master, Other Trickster's Shard, lance, shield
Battle Wizard, Level 2, Lore of Light
BSB, full plate armour, shield
Warrior Priest, mounted, THW
12 Handgunners, command
8 IC Knights, command
20 Greatswords (S4 per our house rules), command
Great Cannon

Arkhan got everything in the Lore of Death, sans Dreadknight and the T snipe
Liche Priest and the Strigoi got their signature spells
Empire Wizard got Net and Shems

Deployment (the VC are not actually there at this point):



So, Arkhan and his guys are actually outnumbered right now (2400 vs 2000p) and given the substantial firepower of the Alliance of Light, they might be even more outnumbered soon. Lore of Death is fine, but I feel really fragile without my usual summoning skills.

The Knights are scary, but nothing the Tomb Guard can't handle I think. The Longbeards are trickier, but I intend to weaken them with a chariot charge and maybe some shooting before I intercept. I really need to keep the Sphinxes away from the Slayers, but the beasts are likely to die from shooting anyway.

Opinions at this point?

[Prince of Spires]

It looks like you'll have quite a fight on your hands. The good guys line is very tight. And shifting those dwarves will be a challenge. Of course, 36 S5 attacks can take care of a lot of things. I think a lot might depend on the first 1 or 2 turns of shooting. Can the good guys deal with the big monsters early on or not. If they can, then they should be able to deal with the rest. But if those monsters manage to reach their line then they'll have an uphill battle on their hands.

As for ET - Tanquol, it was Ok as far as I remember it. Heaps better then Glottkin, but that isn't saying much. The special rules in it were nice. But the actual story did suffer a bit from the fact that the writers had gotten a brief that the bad guys needed to win no matter what. It did leave some nice open ends, which had lots of great potential for further development (same as Nagash and Khaine). Just nothing actually happend with them at a later stage, which was a real pity. They really should have had the writers actually talk with each other during the project...

Rod

[SpellArcher]

The Knights are scary, but nothing the Tomb Guard can't handle I think.

I agree, the bus is not built for grinding.

At this point it does look good for the goodies. As you say RE, shoot up the guys who can't easily be raised back. 6-diced Shem's looks quite nasty at 2D6 S6 and 6-diced Net could be annoying. Seems like the Ghouls sctually have a bit of a trek to get into combat.

As for ET - Tanquol, it was Ok as far as I remember it. Heaps better then Glottkin, but that isn't saying much. The special rules in it were nice. But the actual story did suffer a bit from the fact that the writers had gotten a brief that the bad guys needed to win no matter what. It did leave some nice open ends, which had lots of great potential for further development (same as Nagash and Khaine). Just nothing actually happend with them at a later stage, which was a real pity. They really should have had the writers actually talk with each other during the project...

Thanks Rod, it'll probably come down to finances!

[RE.Lee]

Spot on analyses guys - shooting and, surprisingly, magic did prove to be quite an obstacle for the Undead force. Here's the details of the first half:

Turn 1:
Good guys move forward a bit, to keep the Undead from being too free with their movement. In the magic phase (7:4) the Light Wizard starts with a Shems - I let it go, for fear of Net of Amyntok and some TGs die. The Net does go next and I fail to dispel it with my level 5 Arkhan (rolled some 1s and 2s)! This meant my biggest threat was under risk of being immobile! Things got even worse in the shooting phase - the cannons opened fire, dropping the Necrosphinx and wounding the Warsphinx 4 times. The Organ gun decimated the TGs some more.

After the disaster of the previous round, I was hoping to reply in kind. This was not to be, as the TGs inevitably failed their strength test and had to stay put, in addition to suffering further wounds. Oh. My. God. Other units advanced a bit, while the horse archers charged the Organ Gun. In the magic phase I did little, as I was out of range, due to not being able to move! I did snipe-kill the Empire BSB, though. Shooting was decent, at least, as the archers killed several handgunners (they continued this fine for throughout the battle) and the catapult landed a perfect shot on the Slayers, killing a rank. This was apparently too much good luck, as the horse archers got destroyed by the Organ Gun crew.



Turn 2:
The IC Knights and Longbeards, seeing the Tomb Kings being blown to pieces advance to finish them off, the former taking out the second horse archer unit The Greatswords and Slayers move to counter the approaching VC. Shooting is less devastating, though it does slay the last Sphinx. This was expected. Magic is controlled, more or less.

The VC arrive and start moving towards the Fort, though are unable to march. My chariots charge the Longbeards, kill several and win the combat. I try to assault the IC Kights but fail. In the magic phase I manage to burn a scroll and move the TGs up, so at least there's that. Shooting continues to cause some damage.



Turn 3:
The IC Knights charge my guys and I challenge with Arkhan to avoid having him fight several opponents. The Grand Master accepts and causes 2 wounds, suffering 1 in return. I kill a few knights, lose the combat but I'm still in the fight. The cavalry will have neither hatred nor the lance bonus, so there's hope. The Longbeards finish off the chariots but decide not to attack the archers. Shooting kills a Vargheist and destroys my catapult.

The VC keep moving up, at a steady pace. The TGs slay the Priest and all the knights, sending the Grand Master fleeing! Only Arkhan, the Prince and a champion remain of the unit, however...



This is how the battle is looking at halftime. I managed to deal with the cavalry and evaded the Longbeards, but the TK are pretty much spent. Not being able to bring back the TGs sucks. The Vampires are getting there, but will they even manage to assault the keep?

[SpellArcher]

The Net does go next and I fail to dispel it with my level 5 Arkhan (rolled some 1s and 2s)! This meant my biggest threat was under risk of being immobile!

It's bad luck, especially considering they failed the Strength test as well. The unit needs to close, not just for combat but also to threaten with the Death magic (though killing the enemy BSB with your first phase was a good return anyway). Might just have scrolled it, had I had one here but probably not.

Shooting is less devastating, though it does slay the last Sphinx.

The problem is I guess that both Sphinxes went down easily and later the characters are good targets.

The VC arrive and start moving towards the Fort, though are unable to march.

This is a killer, so the Ghoul King didn't count as their General?

This is how the battle is looking at halftime.

Damn it's been bloody! I still fancy the good guys to hold on here.

[RE.Lee]

The VC couldn't march because they came in as reinforcements - given the distance to the objective and the fact that only infantry could take it I should have made them just deploy normally on turn 1. Scenario design lessons learned.

I didn't mention I managed to cast Purple Sun into the fight with the IC Knights. That helped to win the combat but I only rolled a 2 on the artillery dice - any better and I would have hit the Greatswords, too!

[Prince of Spires]

The good guys indeed still feel like they're ahead. They managed to deal with a good portion of the evil forces and have enough time to regroup before the VC hit in force. You did have some unlucky rolls in there. And losing both sphinxes that early on is a blow. Also, Arkhan is pretty exposed, which could be a real blow to your magic phase. Still, all is not lost. It depends on how fast the VC can get into the battle and overrun the first dwarf units before the good guys can bring their advantage to bear.

On the other hand, I'm wondering if trying to get an extra unit into the TK T3 would have been a good idea. It could have finished off the TK with fewer wounds in return. Now, the good guys need to keep an eye on the TK while the VC are on their way. Getting the greatswords into the flank of the TG for instance would have swung that battle some more. But then, I believe in using overwhelming force whenever possible.

Rod

[RE.Lee]

But then, I believe in using overwhelming force whenever possible.

Hear, hear! Some of the movement of the defenders seemed odd at times, but my opponent had his eyes firmly on the objective. I kept peppering whoever was occupying the fort with my archers, who, always hitting on a 5+, were very consistent in dealing damage.

Anyway, here's the finale:

Turn 4:
Longbeards, seeing the incoming Vampires, head back toward the fort. Meanwhile the Greatswords relieve the Handgunners (now down to 1 model + wizard). The Organ Gun opens fire on Arkhan and friends - when the smoke settles only the Tomb Prince remains. One cannon explodes while the other snipes the Wight King, but fails to bring him down.

I move my Prince up. The VC infantry continues its advance - there's at least chance of a last turn assault. The Vargheist charges and destroys the deadly Organ Gun.



Turn 5:
Slayers charge the Ghouls. Combat is brutal, the Strigoi King a whirlwind of death, but nothing the Dwarfs can't take. The Longbeards continue moving toward the objective, ready to replace the Greatswords.

The Grave Guards move into position to attack the Keep. The Prince blocks the Longbeards - they will not be able to help the humans in the last turn. The Slayers continue to battle with the undead, who are suffering pretty much no losses at all, thanks to magic.



Turn 6:
The Longbeards charge and kill the Tomb Prince, whose Curse brings down one of their number. The Dragon Slayer tries to block the GGs. Only a handful of Slayers is left as the combat continues.

The Grave Guard, having advanced for 4 turns, finally attempt at charge. They are pretty much assured to win the combat with the Greatswords, so it might be up to a Leadership roll of 8. They need 6 to make the assault... and they fail. The Slayers are down to a single Giant Slayer in combat with the Ghouls, but they wouldn't mind - their job is done. Victory to the Defenders!

[SpellArcher]

I managed to cast Purple Sun into the fight with the IC Knights.

That sir, was the Nuclear Option!

I believe in using overwhelming force whenever possible.

I always liked Lord Anathir's "Go for maximum damage."

The Vargheist charges and destroys the deadly Organ Gun.

Those Guns are sods aren't they? Unless you bring World Dragon.

nothing the Dwarfs can't take.

How would you rate the Slayers this game RE?

They are pretty much assured to win the combat with the Greatswords, so it might be up to a Leadership roll of 8. They need 6 to make the assault... and they fail.

The odds of achieving both were not good.

[RE.Lee]

Thanks for the comment!

The Slayers were decent - they were in the list to threaten the Sphinxes, but those were taken care of by other means. In effect, the dwarfs were without any particularly good target. In the end they tar-pitted the Ghouls with some success, so not bad all in all.

As always, blaming bad luck is the first thing that comes to mind Things were pretty terrible from turn 1. While losing the Sphinxes was nothing surprising (I'm still looking for a way to make them work), seeing Arkhan fail to stop a level 2 wizard was disappointing. In addition, the Net was perhaps the worst spell to let through, as it stopped my hammer unit in its tracks, in a scenario where it really needed to get to the objective as quickly as possible.

Other than that things weren't bad. The TG did the job, shooting was pretty effective, magic was decent until Arkhan was alive. The Vampires were slow to get to the objective but that was probably a problem with the scenario I designed. They should have started turn 1 on that flank.

[SpellArcher]

The Slayers were decent - they were in the list to threaten the Sphinxes, but those were taken care of by other means. In effect, the dwarfs were without any particularly good target. In the end they tar-pitted the Ghouls with some success, so not bad all in all.

Slayers aren't supposed to be a great choice because of their lack of armour. But Unbreakable is such a nice tool to have in your locker. Poison is normally a killer for them so I'm impressed how they did here.

seeing Arkhan fail to stop a level 2 wizard was disappointing. In addition, the Net was perhaps the worst spell to let through, as it stopped my hammer unit in its tracks, in a scenario where it really needed to get to the objective as quickly as possible.

Yeah, I'm beginning to think a scroll could have been key here.

Other than that things weren't bad. The TG did the job, shooting was pretty effective, magic was decent until Arkhan was alive. The Vampires were slow to get to the objective but that was probably a problem with the scenario I designed. They should have started turn 1 on that flank.

The bad guys were up against it but at least they had an outside chance on the last turn.

[RE.Lee]

I thought taking a scroll would be overkill, but apparently not. Still it wouldn't make a difference - I wouldn't use it to dispel a spell cast with a 13, while having 4 dispel dice on a level 5 left... Scratch that - it would totally let me save those dice to use as power dice the following turn!

Slayers don't have armour, but they do get a 6+ ward save house rule, so that helps them a bit. They did really well here, dying is kind of their thing

Next battle is probably going to happen on Dec the 10th. Most likely it'll be Valaya's Tomb, depending on who's available.

Meanwhile, Arkhan is done! Risen once again, he did manage to finally steal the Armour of Nagash (while the defenders were drunk and celebrating) and received a paintjob as a reward

[SpellArcher]

Nice work! I just love red metals.

Next battle is probably going to happen on Dec the 10th.