HE MSU at CanCon 2014 - Summary

[Galharen]

2) I don't understand really how Hoodling let you charge demis with all your combat units at once, they weren't in danger.

My original intent was to use the threat of the demigryphs to delay a large portion of Swordie's army whilst culling his right flank before turning to face the rest. This was thrown into disarray when I basically lost 2 effective units in turn 1, including the one that could have best supported the demis. This, combined with the threat of Searing Doom meant the demis were in a "use it or lose it" situation. I decided to try to knock out the odd peripheral unit like the eagle and force the issue - try to cull some of his combat units a bit before they died. Didn't work quite as planned. Stupid eagle.

Oh and yes, I am pretty good at rolling 1s. You should have seen the next game, where a thin line of Gnoblars killed a Demigryph in a single round of combat.

I assume that eagle ruined your plan I would never expect that eagle can survive a charge of 4 demis

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks for comments! The full report is now up!

As much as I appreciate feedback and comments, next time try to add some spoiler alerts

Cheers!

[RE.Lee]

Another great report (though I think making another post would work better than editing the orginal one)!

The lucky (skillful?) bolt thrower shot into the flank of the knights must be the highlight of the game. In general, it was surprising to see what the ridiculed BS shooting is capable of!

[Elithmar]

Thanks for all the reports. I've really enjoyed reading them, as always. I do like your army - I might ahve to try out MSU one day.

Your shooting was amazing! Especially that eagle claw bolt. I wish I had that much luck with the single bolts.

Looking forward to the next report.

[Jimmy]

Hey SM

Thanks for another quality report.

On your Turn 2 – would the Knights have fled away from the Great Eagle?

[Hoodling]

Hey SM

Thanks for another quality report.

On your Turn 2 – would the Knights have fled away from the Great Eagle?

If you're talking about the panic test, they would have fled from whatever caused the 25% casualty test. That's the only time you don't just flee from the nearest enemy.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks for comments! Your feedback is always appreciated

@ RE. Lee

I hope you liked the double story even better than a single report, even if both accounts didn't differ that much

Hm, I tried to avoid separating the posts as deployment and opponents list analysis are integral parts. I could of course wait a little longer and post the full report in one go. I simply thought that a teaser may be an interesting to have.

It does not happen often but if it does, it is definitely stuff of legends! Sometimes they also fail miserably, like rolling a 1 to hit or to wound But I am obviously very happy with that flank shot!

@ Galharen

Thanks! I was quite happy with the deployment this time but I am always open for suggestions. I am still pondering about potential use of that building (which I simply neglected at this stage).

It seems Hoodling has already answered the question for you but indeed, I also felt he is committing them too early. On the other hand, after his explanation I understand better why he decided to go for it.

With White Wolves, actually, the save was modified to at least 3+ since Sisters are S4 and they start with 2+. That is a big difference. Bolt Thrower and Reaver Bow further reduce that to 4+. While Hoodling had some epic failures with his armour saves (see the fight against Archers) in this particular case the focused shooting also did the trick.

In terms of more bolt throwers - maybe. If I were to add more I would probably add only second one. I would not feel comfortable with 3 or 4 as I have too many units to be able to keep the clear line of sight.

As to the eagle every body was surprised. The eagle probably the most!

@ Jimmy

I was happy to see Demigryphs on the flank. I was not sure if they were going to be aggressive or not and they still had a support from other units but with open plains on that flank I had room to manoeuvre. I was also glad that my multiple deployment drops allowed me to put the assault troops over there. On the hindsight I wonder if it was not an over kill. I had 2 units that didn't see combat, Dragon Princes and Swordmasters. I am also wondering if it was a good decision to move reavers around instead of keeping them on the right flank to further annoy the advancing knights.

As the fleeing Hoodling kindly provided the answer for you (cheers!)

@ Hoodling

That threat worked very well as I cannot comfortably charge from the front only on the unit of Demigryphs at full strength. Even without magical augments they are tough nut to crack. And while I could try to soften them in 1-2 turns I didn't have that much time really. I also think I was not decisive enough. Instead of positioning units 12" away I should have moved one of them to intercept your unit after it killed the eagle and then allow other regiments to outflank or at least make sure they are close to make successful charges.

@ Elithmar

Thanks! I am glad they still are a good read and despite me using the same army, the reports are not boring

Indeed, that was a great shot! ALl I can say is that you have to keep trying and have to believe in your eagle claw crews!

Thanks again for your comments! Please, keep them coming!

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Greetings!

Another introduction to another game!

Game 5 - Chris - Lizardmen - Blood and Glory

In the next game I had a pleasure to play against another Master player, winner of 2012 Masters and my opponent from round 1 of Masters 2013 - Chris. Last time we played Chris had his highly mobile, double dragon list with Death Archmage. I greatly enjoyed our first game and I was very happy to meet Chris on the field of battle again. I was sure I could learn a thing or two again and, what's more, it was going to be a very enjoyable game. I also hoped I could repeat my good result from our first encounter! However, I was also sure that Chris would be even a harder opponent to play against as he already knew my army while I - didn't really. This time, Chris brought a very fine looking Lizardmen army led by no other than a special character Tetto Ekko (apologies for spelling errors) and 2 Old Bloods!

Lizardmen - Army List

Tetto Ekko
Old Blood, Cold One, GW, Armour of Destiny, Dawnstone, Other Trickster's Shard
Old Blood, Cold One, GW, Glittering Scales, Talisman of Preservation, Potion of Toughness
Scar Veteran - BSB, Cold One, Light Armour, Charmed Shield, Opal Amulet, Sword of Striking
Scar Veteran, Cold One, Light Armour, GW, Dragonhelm

23 Saurus Warriors, Full Command
23 Temple Guard, Full Command, Banner of Swiftness
18 Skink Cohort, Full Command
18 Skink Cohort, Full Command
10 Skink Cohort
10 Skink Cohort
10 Skink Skirmishers
Stegadon Ancient
6 Chameleon Skinks

Here is the picture of the army I was about to play against:


Not quite your typical Lizardmen army - picture courtesy of ThaneG from wargamerau

Not exactly the typical Lizardmen army but there were a few usual suspects. That didn't make it look any easier though!

Tetto Ekko - that little bugger does not seem to be that dangerous as you may think. Just a level 2 wizard. However, he knows all the spells from the lore of Heavens and that makes him very dangerous to my MSU army. Comet and Chain Lightning on their own can inflict huge damage. Other spells also can be very dangerous and lore attribute itself is very annoying for my great eagles. The main problem with such a wizard is that it makes very difficult to choose what to dispel. What is more he can re-roll the dice to see if the comet is going to fall that particular turn or not.

His another ability is to vanguard d3 units before the battle. That may mean that some of his very dangerous Saurus, toughened by the presence of the characters, can be way closer to my lines than I wanted them to be. What is more in Blood and Glory scenario the deployment zones are even closer than usual. I didn't like that at all!

Mounted characters - these guys are tough as nails. Even without magic items it takes a lot of effort to put one down. And I had to face 4 of them, 2 of which were Old Bloods! I definitely didn't have resources to fight against all of them so I had to isolate one unit and try to overwhelm it with as many of my own as possible, hopefully inflicting enough casualties to overcome damage done by these characters to break them.

Saurus - both units of Saurus and Temple Guard didn't look that big but the presence of two characters in each (as I thought would be the case) makes a lot of a difference. I could take on one and maybe even soften it with shooting and magic but had to be decisive and do it quick before the other block could come to the rescue. If possible, I wanted to focus on regular Saurus rather than TG.

Skinks - plenty of them. Very annoying. They are very cheap and expendable but they can cause a lot of trouble to my fragile troops. Also, with their ability to divert the units they could have prevented the coordinated charges I needed to make.

Chameleons - they deserve separate entry because they are even more annoying. Scouts with the option to sit at your back and very handy -2 to hit penalty even at short range in the open. Better to deal with them with magic or some good close combat. But it is easier said than done!

Stegadon Ancient - Another tough cookie in the army. It can have a potential to devastate infantry units on its own. Very hard to defeat, in particular when close to the BSB. As if I didn't have enough of the tough guys to deal with

It was already a very tough army to play against but the scenario made it more difficult. First of all it positioned armies closer. I was about to face the combat orientated force, with possibility to vanguard up to 3 units. I didn't want it closer at all. I need space to manoeuvre and set the traps against such force.

Secondly, Blood and Glory, in its modified version for that tournament, meant I had to be extra careful with units with banners and with my characters. While I needed the units in combat I was in a very uncomfortable situation where I needed to do so in a way that prevented losing these with banners. I was not sure if I could do that at the same time.

Last but not least I needed to deploy well but that was also a little bit limited due to narrower deployment zone. If you add the effect of terrain it might be a tough challenge to do so.

Prologue*

* Prologue and Epilogue by Master Story Teller - Il Mastro of Ulthuan.net fame!

‘Did your dream tell us how long we had to search in this god-forsaken forest before we found that temple?’ Bob swatted away another mosquito as he rode next to Larry, impatience etched on his face as he spoke.

‘I like it here as little as you, but do you really doubt the power of the aethyr after all you’ve seen?’ Larry turned away from Bob and peered through the dense shrub ahead, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything important past the swinging machetes of the outcasts clearing a path. Though he had spent his whole life training with the intangible forces swirling through the world, recent events had made Larry question his teachings. The winds had changed of late; though never quite steady, it was normally easier to predict how they waxed and waned. The last few moons, however, had been something that even Larry was uncomfortable with. The aethyr had pulsed with such irregularity as to make it almost impossible to safely use even the most basic incantations. Sometimes he was unable to draw enough power for simplest of spells, whilst mere moments later there could be enough raw energy flowing through Larry as to be able to cast the most monstrous of incantations, the likes of which he had never been able to before. He had come close to catastrophic consequences more than once over the preceding weeks, especially since the outcasts had travelled down to Lustria. It was hard to tell if it was this place or the whole world that was changing, and Larry disliked either option equally.

Then, of course, there were the visions.

Just as the winds waxed and waned, so did his visions; sometimes he could go days without seeing anything in his dreams, and others he could be ambushed whilst awake with extraordinary scenes that unfolded before his eyes, as baffling as they were beautiful. He had less and less control over them as time wore on, and even his oldest tricks to still his mind had little effect on these visions. At first he had thought it was the gods, keeping him alive and tormenting him equally. But the more that he thought on it, the more he dismissed the idea. The gods had never been interested in the lives of petty mortals before, and he saw no reason for them to start now. He was convinced that his near-death experiences were all tied in to the changing winds, and he was determined to find out how and why.

‘Are you having another one? Bob’s voice was softer as he leaned closer, one hand placed on Larry’s shoulder in comfort. Larry looked around and realized he did not recognize any of the trees or plants – he had been in his own reverie for a while it seemed.

‘No, dear friend, just thinking abou-‘

He stopped mid sentence as a bright flash caught his eye from amidst the tree-tops. Bob reacted instantly, his decades of training coming to the fore as he immediately halted the column and drew his weapon, preparing for an ambush. Larry leaned forward in his saddle, trying to peer through the swaying canopies at what had caught his attention. Another flash shone through, and when the bright light had dissipated, Larry’s eyes focused on its source. A giant, reflective gem, sitting atop what looked to be the tip of a pyramid, appeared through the leaves as a giant beacon. Bob’s gaze followed Larry’s and found the gem, and he slid his sword back into his scabbard as he signaled for the column to change direction and march.

‘Looks like your dreams have an answer for everything,’ Bob mused as his kicked his horse into a canter towards their prize. Larry ignored the comment, fixated on the gem as they moved forward. Whilst he was relieved to be making progress, he couldn’t help shake the deep feeling of dread that was beginning to rise in his stomach. The winds were changing again, and he had no idea what was going to happen next.

Off in the distance, a screech echoed through the jungle as a single pteradon circled back to its home, bearing a warning for its master.

Deployment


Deployment of armies after vanguard and scout moves


Who would have thought that Lizards can be that eager to get to the enemy!

Chris won the roll off that determined who is going to choose the table sides and not surprisingly picked the one with the nice tower near the deployment zone. I had some impassable ruins on my right flank I wanted to use to limit Lizardmen advance and ability to attack my units. At the same time I wanted to move through these little gaps to surround technically slower Saurus and to block TG from joining the fight. The dilemma I had was either to spread out but make it easier to pin down my units by the Lizards or focus on one flank where I could bring more regiments against one Saurus unit and win even with the presence of the characters. That, however, was perfect set up for comets!

In that game I actually regretted that I don't have shadow warriors. You see, placing scouts in front of vanguarding units prevents their vanguard move. Would have been golden in here! Instead, Chris perfectly positioned his chameleons so that they prevented Reavers from coming in first and slowing down his vanguarding regiments!

To make things even more complicated Chris won the roll off and his was the first turn!

Lizardmen - Turn 1


Incredibly fast advance of the Lizardmen army


Lizardmen advance aggressively

Three units vanguard and then pick up the momentum to catch the elves before they unfold from their crowded deployment zone. Stegadon and Temple Guard move full speed ahead with chameleons among them. They even shoot at the bolt thrower but fortunately for High Elves only one crew member is slain.

Saurus Warriors move a little bit more cautiously. Tetto Ekko warms up by casting some less significant spell on one of the eagles and it is struck down. Also reavers on the right flank suffer some casualties from the poisonous darts. Elves didn't move but are already hard pressed.

Outcasts - Turn 1


Elves try to outpace the enemy


Hasty movements!

High Elves were hard pressed and had to act swiftly. Units on the left focused on chameleon skinks but they survived the incoming arrows. Temple guard was blocked but Stegadon had plenty of targets to choose from!

Reavers on the right flank tried to tempt the Saurus to charge them and hopefully give time for the infantry to spread out. Elves were limited in that manoeuver by the river though. Would they be fast enough to encircle Lizardmen infantry?

Lizardmen - Turn 2


Lizardmen army attacks!


Big Three charge in!

Lizardmen combat troops attack without delay. On the right flank Stegadon storms into the ranks of the Sea Guard and the elves barely hold against that stampede. Temple Guard is slowed down by the noble sacrifice of the Sisters. Reavers on the right flank perform feighned flight but Saurus are not fooled and redirect against Swordmasters. They are eager to make that attack count and despite long distance, crush into the warriors of Hoeth. However, the long run must have affected their accuracy and what looked like an easy victory turned out into stalemate. (Edit: If I remember correctly Saurus needed 9+ to reach Swordmasters and Chris made that roll!)

High Elves spotted a chance to counter attack but were also looking into the skies as it was clear that some type of celestial object was directed towards their direction to spell doom and destructions. The effort to magically bring it to the battle field cost Tetto Ekko a lot and the powerful cascade erupted in the building where he resided. Fortunately for him the portal between dimensions was opened for a briefest of the moments and he escaped with his life.

Now exposed Sisters were the target for many poisonous darts and they stood no chance against such a threat.

Outcasts - Turn 2


First comet crushes to the ground!

As Elves move and charge the comet crushes to the ground amongst them. White Lions and Swordmasters already engaged in combat suffer from the attack while only a few Saurus fall down. The combat between the units is then affected. Warriors fall on both sides but the fight continues!

In the meantime Dragon Princes force nearby skinks to flee and reform to engage Saurus while White Lions move to their rear in the deadly all out assault.

Reavers rally and move again to slow down Temple Guard so that they cannot intervene against isolated Saurus.

Lizardmen - Turn 3


Segadon on the rampage

Stegadon, not satisfied with the destruction of the Sea Guard, charges nearby Archers who also suffer horrendous casualties and for some time they hold.

Temple Guard destroy annoying Reavers but High Elves still have some support troops to keep them out of combat they want to enter.

Saurus warriors exchange blows with Elves and both sides suffer some casualties. However, Swordmasters are no more and only a few Lions hold them in place. Would it be enough? Reinforcements are on the way. But so is another comet! Who will be faster?

Outcasts - Turn 3


Stegadon dominates on the left flank


Bloody combat in the crater of the fallen comet!

Elves charge as one against Saurus and it seems that against such a determined attack from all sides they will not be able to hold. But precise calculations of Tetto Ekko sent the comet right in the middle of that combat. Both units of Lions, together with the Loremaster, simply vaporised! Saurus warriors died too but ironically, that prevented more casualties from the incoming combat as due to unexpected change in the formation of the Lizardmen, elven cavalry found out their only enemy is the Old Blood. Only Swordmasters fighting to the front dealt soma damage but it cost them too. The fight that looked like a victory for Elves was turned up side down!

(Edit: That was a Master Stroke (literally!) by Chris! He positioned the comet on the head of Saurus champion and using the special skill of Tetto Ekko he re-rolled the roll to see if the comet shows up to make it so! Then he proceeded to roll high for number of hits against both White Lion units that were his most dangerous enemies this combat. Even 4+ ward save for Larry didn't activate and I was unable to save a single wound that got him! Ouch! )

Lizardmen - Turn 4


Skinks hunt down Dragon Princes


Old Blood flees!

Not much of the elven forces are left. Temple Guard destroys one more small target while Skinks pepper Dragon Princes with darts. Swordmasters managed to break the Old Blood but could not catch him.

Outcasts - Turn 4


Trying to save some lives

Bob the BSB orders the retreat of the few remaining warriors in hope they can escape their doom. Dragon Princes make a futile attempt to catch the Old Blood but that didn't work at all. Elves were utterly beaten and only a few of them survived to tell the tale.

Epilogue

‘We must go back home, Larry. We can’t afford to lose any more men like that.’ Bob sat across the fire from Larry, cleaning away the dried blood from his breastplate as the night engulfed them. He was weary from battle, and Larry could sense that his resolve had all but broken. Though their travels in Lustria hadn’t taken Bob’s life, it may well have taken his spirit.

It had been two weeks since they had come across that temple – though now it resembled more of a tomb. Larry had been full of hope as they had approached the outer doors of the ruins, no obstacles in sight. He had heard rumours of the denizens of the steamy jungles and wanted little to do with them, and it had seemed that he would get his wish. With the majority of his army waiting outside, Larry, Bob, and a small detachment of swordmasters had searched the inner rooms of the pyramid, until they had reached the main room of the old gods. Sitting on an ancient dais in the middle of the room, the mummified corpse of a slann had stared at them as they walked in and searched for its hidden secrets. As Larry had approached the corpse, finally able to quell his fears, he truly believed he was going to find some answers.

Then all hell had broken loose.

The first he had heard was a soft rumble off in the distance, growing louder by the second. His skin prickled as he felt another being close by draw a large amount of aethyr, more than he thought was possible. Before he had time to shout a warning, the room had filled with motion as poisonous darts erupted from holes in the walls, felling his brave elves all around. He and Bob had been lucky to escape the confines of the walls and their hidden attackers, but when they reached the outsides of the pyramid they realized the true extent of their supposed luck.

Hoards of walking lizards had fallen upon the awaiting elves, and in their jungle-induced sickness and fatigue, they had been barely able to stop them. Snapping jaws and onyx clubs cleaved a bloody swathe through the outcasts, and even as Larry and Bob joined battle with their new foes, the heavens themselves had turned against them. Larry only caught glimpses of the tiny lizard, but could sense the magnitude of his power as he brought down comet after comet amongst the outcasts’ ragged battle lines, each fiery ball of death delivering more elves to the goddess of the underworld. Unable to oppose such a force, Larry had ordered a full retreat. The outcasts had dispersed and fled with no semblance of order, each elf looking after himself as they tried to escape the slaughter.

For two weeks Larry and Bob had been gathering stragglers, though most had quickly succumbed to their battle wounds or mysterious illnesses of the jungle. Their numbers had dwindled significantly since their initial incursion into Lustria, and for the last few days discontent had seeded throughout the remaining survivors. The morale of the outcasts was well and truly destroyed, and being so far from home and surrounded by enemies did nothing to ease their suffering. And now, even Bob had grown wearisome.

‘Larry, listen to reason. Let us leave now an-‘

‘And what? What are we to do then?’ Larry posed the rhetorical question to Bob, knowing that he had no answer. ‘Are we to slink back to the isles of Ulthuan and just hope that this all goes away? You remember why we started this quest. The aethyr is changing, and I fear for the whole world. Look at what that little lizard did to us out there! He fully decimated our army, and I could do nothing to stop him! We may have lost a lot, but that is the meaning of sacrifice. We face a far greater threat than you or I had imagined, and I would sacrifice every single living outcast if it meant saving this world, because that is what we represent – we are the last hope, when all other hope has faded. Will you turn away from your duty at this, our weakest moment? Because I shall not, so if needs be, I will go alone! That is what must be done, and I will see it completed, or die trying.’

Larry took a deep breath and paused for a moment to gain his composure, and looked past Bob to the other fires surrounding theirs. The outcasts were motionless, some seated and some standing, though all were facing him. Light from the flames flickered off their faces as they stared at Larry, the dancing shadows hiding their expressions as if they wore a mask. Larry sighed as he released his breath, and turned to catch the eye of one of the closer elves, ready to face the stinging responses. But he saw something else, something unexpected.

He saw hope.

As his gaze moved from elf to elf, he no longer saw weary and tired faces, sick and disabled bodies. In their places stood proud and noble warriors, each willing to give themselves in service of the greater good. He saw past the blood and disease, and saw the unblemished souls of his comrades underneath, willing to lay all on the line for the world’s sake. His eyes moved between faces, each filled with strength and conviction. He turned back to Bob, and saw the inner strength of the proud warrior shine through his fear and hopelessness. Their eyes caught, and for the briefest of moments, they totally understood each other.

‘As will the outcasts.’ Bob broke the silence, his voice renewed and full of newfound strength. ‘Where do we follow you to now?’

Larry looked his best friend in the eye and responded with the first thought that came to mind.

‘If the winds of aethyr are changing, let us go to their source. We march north.’

After-battle thoughts

I messed up something with pictures and it seems that I didn't have all of them. I believe we may have played one more turn because I definitely lost these Dragon Princes and I remember that Old Blood also rallied. I did save BSB and few Swordmasters though.

That didn't change much, however. Chris played a very good game as befits Master player. He pressed hard, made right decisions, while I didn't and made some mistakes too. The end result could only be one, total destruction. Chris also got 700VP extra for Blood and Glory scenario and that gave him a well deserved 19-1 victory. Really, really well done, Sir and my congratulations for schooling me in style!

I had a great game despite the loss and I did learn a few things too! So maybe there is still hope!

As to the game itself, hm, where do I start?

1. Deployment

I should have deployed on the edge. First, I knew it was blood and glory so the distance between the armies is already shorter. Second, I knew Chris is going to vanguard and I could not count on him rolling low for the number of units that are allowed to do so.

I wanted to use the impassable terrain on my right flank to prevent his big units to reach me but it looks like I helped Chris to cast comets in doing so. Maybe I should have deployed with the regiments more spread?

2. Reavers/Dragon Prince

I could not use them to prevent these vanguards but maybe I could move them forward anyway? I was concerned though with all the skinks in front of me.

I badly positioned the unit on the left so that when the enemy moved forward I could not intercept any unit at all!

3. Chameleons

I wonder if I should not have charged them with Sea Guard and even redirect against Stegadon if they fled. If they didn't I was charged by the beast anyway. If they did similar situation.

4. Reavers and flee reaction

I don't know why I fled. I opened the path for Saurus as they were not blocked by the Sisters as intended. Then 9+ charge is not the easy one to make but ... I let it go. Another mistake.

5. Units on the left

I think that as soon as Stegoadon moved against Sea guard I should have moved 3 remaining regiments forward toward the tower or against Skins. That would have brought the fight to the enemy, threaten their spell caster and helped me to avoid the combat units. Chasing skinks is not easy but at least it would serve me better.

6. Comets

While I could do nothing against the first comet (Irresistible Force and Dimensional Cascade but Tetto Ekko was lucky to avoid his doom) I made a huge mistake with the second one. I had enough dice to dispel it but chos not to as I thought Chain Lightning is more dangerous. Stupid

It was a quick game in terms of when it was decided. By the end of turn 3 it was all over. But as I said, a great game against great opponent and hopefully I will remember the lessons!

I hope it was still an interesting read!

Cheers!

[RE.Lee]

I'm eager to find out how you handled this one - seems like a tough match!

[Stormie]

Well, my prediction is simple: if he gets a good Chain Lightning turn 1 then the High Elves will be hard-pressed to survive, but if he doesn't, the Lizardmen won't have enough troops to win the day.

[Hinge]

Game 4- Empire

The game looked like a blast and I will certainly mosey over to the Hoodling Hole to check out the other side’s perspective.

I felt your deployment was sound and your early ranged success put a lot of pressure on the Empire. I don’t think occupying it early was necessary, just keep close so you can jump in if needed. About the only negative early was your use of the right flank White Lions, which you mentioned.

I am curious why you exited the building with the Seaguard on turn 4. It looked like the BSB/knight were already in range. If you had delayed a turn, you could have stepped out and not taken the Flagellant charge.

I think you needed to make up your mind on if you wanted to engage the flagellant unit or not. I thought for sure you would. If your decision was not to, I think you could have set up some double flees and conserved points.

Game 5-

I love Old Blood cowboys! I hope one has the Steg Helm. Teto Ekko has been extremely effective in every time I have faced him.

Lots of combat units and I am expecting some serious bloodshed. I think your redirectors may be hard pressed early on.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

First of all, my sincere apologies for keeping you waiting so long. Time is luxury as never before and in fact, writing these reports is my only connection to the hobby at the moment. The good thing is that I have all the diagrams ready and Master Storyteller Il Meastro is constantly working on new stories to add the flavour to the reports!

I hope then that your patience hasn't reached the limits yet and that you will be able to wait just a little bit longer! Thanks in advance!

@ RE. Lee

You are indeed correct! It was a tough match up indeed!

@ Stormie

Yes, I aligned my troops for a perfect chain reaction, didn't I?

@ Hinge

Cheers! It is worthy to check Hoodlings blog if only to see the pictures taken from the other side (and somehow his hands are way more steady than mine ).

The reason I left the building was that it was only 2 storeys. I wanted to use full amount of shots. Let's do little math-hammer:

10 shots - 3+ to hit - 6-7 hits
15 shots - 4+ to hit (due to move penalty) - 7-8 hits

Not much of a difference but I concluded that potential of having more shots is worth taking a shot (pun intended! ). In the end it didn't matter unfortunately.

Another chance I took with that move was that my archers were still fighting against ArchLector and single knight. If they held that turn (and there was a chance for that) I would have been able to flank charge the knight and hopefully get the points for that unit. But, despite brave stance for so long, the Archers could not hold any longer!

You are spot on with second unit of Flagellants. I simply could not decide if I wanted to fight them or not and didn't engage them in the end, moving in and moving out without the purpose. Being undecided is the worst thing that one can do.

As to the game with Lizards I don't remember, unfortunately. I will try to get the army list from Chris, hopefully he will be kind to reply!

I can tell you that amount of hard cavalry characters and very solid character Tetto Ekko made this game very tough. These guys can take so much punishment! And Tetto Ekko is great with his Loremaster ability. That vanguard also is sooo handy and Chris of course had to roll 5 or 6 to see how many units he can move As I have mentioned before, I need my shadow warriors back!

Cheers!

[Stormie]

Tough match, seems like the counter to MSU multi-charge is lots of comets!

I don't understand how the Loremaster died to the comet though, it looks like you have 5 dudes (presumably 4 rank and file + champ) in his bodyguard unit, wouldn't that need like a bazillion hits to do enough hits to effect him three time over?

[RE.Lee]

Nice report! The match was, indeed, pretty rough. No wander Tetto-eko is one of the most feared special characters - his mastery of the Heavens Lore is impressive!

[Cold Phoenix]

Swordmaster, your last game lured me out. Usually I just lurk, but I've been seeing an awful lot of Lizardment latety and had a couple of thoughts for you.

The Stegadon is a real threat to MSU infantry units because a charge results in Impact Hits and Thunderstomp, but can have trouble dealing with Heavy Cavalry if it doesn't get the charge, because the Stegadon has low WS, only 3 Attacks and the skinks don't modify armour saves. A couple of games back, 5 of my Silver Helms held a Stegadon up for 4-5 rounds, sometimes forcing break tests. You probably could have held it up for a few turns with the sacrifice of a unit of DPs, perhaps until you were ready to hit it with a combo-charge.

Saurus and Temple Guard both have the Predatory Fighter rule, so they have to pursue if there isn't a skink character very close by. Because Tetto Ekko was at the back, you could have tried to exploit this to lure one of the blocks into a trap.

And some questions:

As you said already, Saurus Characters are very bad news. Did you think about redirecting the Saurus Warriors and Temple Guard and going after the rest of his army (especially the Stegadon and Tetto Ekko) for points?

What did magic do for you this game? I see several good options available such as Searing Doom on the Stegadon, Miasma (to reduce M or WS) on the Saurus/Temple Guard and Fireball/Burning Gaze on Tetto Ekko's unit.

How were the Saurus equipped? The ones I see usually have HW&S, but spears are also a good choice if you are fielding a large Saurus unit.

What formation did the Saurus and Temple Guard deploy in? The diagrams suggest a 5X4 or a 6X4 formation, but with 23+2 Mounted Characters, both units should have larger footprints?

Finally, I really appreciate reading your reports.

[Jimmy]

Hey SM

Nice to end the week off with reading another of your battle reports.

Versus ye old Lizardmen and led by a master no less – truly a worthy task is set before you. Previously seen how tough the Old Bloods are can they are more than capable of holding your units up and the Scar Veterans would be no less of a problem to a degree.

Just read deployment and it’s extremely obvious Chris is a master of his trade and has certainly done the background work on getting his list to work.

Turn 1 and the pressure is on immediately. I wonder if this was Chris’ usual mode to rush up against most armies? I think this is perhaps the only time I can remember in your battle reports where you’ve made so much sacrifice in the opening frame. Was the plan here to get into the rear of the Temple Guard with the White Lions?

Turn 2 – Did the comet do significant damage to your units can you remember?

Turn 3 – Ouch, that comet is simply devastating.

I’ve nothing much else to say, another quality battle report you’ve produced and it seems your photography skills were improving over the course of the tournament. I think we learn more in defeat than victory.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks for comments! It is even more appreciated after such a devastating defeat!

@ Stormie

Haha, indeed! If the units are grouped together then the comet is the answer. If more spread, send in the chain lightning! And tetto-ekko has it all at his disposal!

Battle Chronicler rounds up the number of models so if you have 4-5 it will look as 6. I can't remember how many models I had left but I had to randomize. I remember Chris rolled very well and I had to allocate 3 hits against Larry. None of them was saved by 4+ ward save.

The reason I had so few models was that it was affected by the comet twice.

@ RE. Lee

From my experience the selection of spells is the main thing, then it is the casters level. Of course it is a simplification as it does matter a lot too. You need less dice to cast spells etc. However, having all the spells from the deck usually means there is something for each occasion.

Tetto-ekko is not only capable wizard on his own but he also has some interesting additional skills. That vanguarding is ace! Of course if you are skilful at rolling 5+ on a d6!

@ Cold Phoenix

Cheers! I am glad you like my reports! Hopefully you will not lurk any longer and add your comments more often!

That is true about the Stegadon. I didn't position my DP well enough to intercept it turn 1. Then I could have charged it but since it was still in combat against Sea Guard I was worried that they might charge for their doom. Sea Guard would have been stomped and that would have changed any bonus I had from charge+flank+potential wounds. It was also in the area of BSB presence so with its stubbornness on 3d6 it would have gone nowhere. Because of that it could continue its rampage and since Chris kept rolling well on t-stomps it didn't go well at all.

I was considering exploiting predatory fight rule. I wanted to charge the rear of TG with Dragon Princes at some stage. However, since they are 2A each with S5 and there were 2 characters there I was not confident enough I would have had single knight left to lose the fight and drag them away from the combat between my units and Saurus Warriors.

In normal circumstances I try to get rid of the support units first to have clear paths for combined charges. However, Chris pressed very aggressively and I had to act quickly. The fight against Saurus erupted quickly so I decided to use the opportunity and surround the unit. It would have worked despite the presence of the characters if I dispelled second comet. The mistake that cost me the game or at least made the defeat so crushing.

I often don't write about magic because it was not spectacular. I either rolled poorly on winds of magic or could not get spells through. I remember rolling double 1 on some silly first spell when having quite a nice amount of dice too. Then the Loremaster died and I lost magic phase entirely. I think the only achievement was casting fire ball at skinks that were about to block my dragon princes on the right flank from charging the saurus. Unfortunately I didn't fry enough of them to finish the unit and they passed their panic test too! A pity as needed some spells for that combat too. Iceshard blizzard to make them hit less often, miasma to double the effect, wildform to make my units harder and hitting harder too. Alas, it was not to be.

Saurus Warriors were equipped with Shields. I also prepared diagrams before I asked Chris for his army list hence their footprint seems a little smaller than it really was. The went in 5 wide formation and cavalry characters fit in nicely for 5x5 formation.

@ Jimmy

Thanks for comments, Centurion!

It is indeed true these guys are tough to combat. I need my combat specialists to dent their armour and probably a little buffs and hexes from the Loremaster too. I had tools to deal with some of them but this time it just didn't happen.

I can't answer that question as I didn't listen to the full Dwellers podcast where Chris was talking about his CanCon experience. He only mentioned that things he wanted to work did so perfectly for him in our game I presume so, in general, as his army is combat orientated and that vanguard move should help a lot. Of course if he rolled 1-2 for number of units allowed to vanguard then maybe it was not worth risking as the regiment may be isolated.

Yes, I had to react fast and I knew I am going to pay the butchers bill anyway. Unfortunately, I didn't make these sacrifices count. While the sisters stopped TG and saved the eagle for the next turn (which was good!) I should not have fled with reavers. That would have given me more time and space for combined charges later on. Alternatively, I could have moved Swordmasters that were charged better so that other regiments where there to help immediately.

Lions were guarding the pass, so to speak, because Lizardmen units could not fit in that gap. I had the option then to retreat but remain a threat or move forward, as I did.

Yes, first comet did damage two units properly, around half of the starting number. But the second one was even more devastating.

I am glad you think my photo taking skills improved! Hopefully, I can be even better in the future!

Cheers!

[Il Maestro]

Hey guys!

Sorry for the radio silence and lag getting out the latest bit of the story, I had a bit of writer's block and was struggling with ideas! Anyway, just sent off the latest copies to SM so hopefully you guys will see them soon! Let me know if you're enjoying these so far, I'm happy to get the final couple up too if you guys like them!

Cheers,
Maestro

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi Il Maestro!

Thank you so much for continued interest in writing short stories for my reports! They add greatly to the whole read and I am sure others like these little gems as much as I do! It is fantastic how you can link the games together into a single journey!

I have already updated the battle report with your stories! Thanks a lot again!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Game 6 - James - Dwarves - Battle Line

In the game 6 I faced my friend James who brought his stalwart Dwarves to the tournament. I had an honour to face his army twice before so I am sure his Book of Grudges has some chapters about my elves and some score to settle! In fact, we played last year at CanCon and back then James challenged me in the first round!

I hope you will find the game interesting despite the fact it was still the army list from old army book for Dwarves.

Dwarves - Army List

Runelord, Anvil of Doom, Shield, Rune of Stone
Thane BSB, Master rune of Gromril, Rune of Resistance
Dragon Slayer
Dragon Slayer
Master Engineer, Great Weapon, Rune of Stone

28 Warriors, Great Weapons, Full Command
28 Warriors, Great Weapons, Full Command
11 Thunderers

Cannon, Rune of Burning
Cannon

28 Hammerers, Full Command, Master Rune of Grungni
18 Miners, Full Command, Steam drill
Organ Gun

Total Swedish: 14.9

Quite a few great weapon wielding Dwarves here! Having played against James before I noticed a few usual suspects. He likes to played with bigger infantry blocks so I was not really surprised with the 3 great weapon wielding regiments. Anvil seemed to be his thing too, despite occasional spectacular explosions it caused. I expected war machines but this time instead of grudge throwers I had to deal with very dangerous Organ Gun. Thunderers also nicely added to the army as small arms fire is very good in destroying these small regiments or finishing some stragglers.

Let's have a closer look at his army list:

Runelord

A stalwart general, his roles are multiple thanks to his own abilities and extra things he gained from the Anvil. Very good anti-magic even without runes of spell breaking. Anvil allowed him to either slow down the advance of some of my regiments or move some of his own at an appropriate moment. Very good in combination with Miners too! Even with just a single rune of stone he was quite well protected. If positioned right it may be very difficult to even get to him.

Thane BSB

Simple yet efficient combination for 1+ armour save with ability to re-roll. Very, very helpful character for Dwarves, in particular for stubborn hammerers. However, even with 1+ and re-rolls he can die to some higher strength attacks some of my combat units can provide and since he is probably going to be with one of the blocks anyway there is a chance to direct all the possible hits against him and try to get him down.

Dragon Slayers

Very good for war machines protection or as small redierctors themselves. Can stop any unit, if only for a turn but my previous experience showed that small frontage and T5 causes some elves real problem.

Engineer

Since James didn't load his warmachines with runes this character was very helpful indeed. He could also provide some extra protection via trenches and his extra attacks with great weapon can be very useful in fighting off some fast but light enemy troops.

Warriors

Good, stalwart Warriors with the great weapons. May not have huge staying power due to heavy armour only but their significant numbers meant they would not go down without the fight and in fact, they can hurt some enemies too.

Thunderers

In one of our previous games James didn't have small arms troops and thanks to that survivors from Swordmasters units, who suffered greatly from the grudge throwers fire, could sneak in between his regiments and destroy his war machines. I am sure Thunderes were included to be prepared for such situations but there are always some good targets for them in any match up. In this game their aid would be definitely noted!

Cannons

Not many runes on these, only one with burning attacks. However, two cannons with the nearby Engineer are very reliable anyway! I had a feeling that if I didn't had a place to hide my eagles or bolt thrower, they would not live long. But that is usually the case with cannons and the targets they might pick.

Hammerers

Even better regiment than Warriors. WS5, S6 and stubborn makes them very dangerous indeed. The magic banner allows to minimize the casualties taken from the shooting and/or magic missiles and I expected them to occupy central position so that more units could benefit from that protection.

Miners

Some more great weapon wielding Dwarves who can appear on your flank and charge immediately thanks to the power of the Anvil. All depended on the dice rolls that would determine when they are going to arrive but steam drill ensured the chances for that were increased and I had to assume they would show up exactly when James wanted them to be present.

Organ Gun

A priority target for me to destroy. Preferably with some magic missiles (despite possible protection from the banner) as I expected it to be hidden behind the troops. The faster I destroyed that infernal machine the faster I can approach the enemy lines and engage his troops in combat.

James won the roll off to pick the table side and promptly announced that he is sorry but previous experiences thought him that castle is the best formation against MSU elves. He simply stated that he didn't want to risk his warriors to be encircled again and chose to fight defensive war in order to prevent defeat in the first place. That meant I had to come up with the idea on how to storm that castle.

I decided to do so with the cavalry as a far wing that can cover more distance and catch up with infantry approaching through shorter path. I even didn't quite wanted to stay with shooters in one place as I thought I might need them in some redirecting missions or, if opportunity arises, to add some ranks to combat and prevent the Dwarves from being steadfast.

I also didn't want to move too close to the edge as I knew that some Miners would love that opportunity to charge my regiments. Here is how we ended up deploying our forces:

Deployment


Yet another Tomato Plantation!


Deployment of the armies after vanguard - Miners digging the tunnels!

As promised, James castled. His runelord was very well shielded, Engineer entrenched Organ Gun and stayed close to the war machines. Dragon Slayers helped to guard the flank.

Elves deployed wide, with eagles hiding behind the hills but no good place to hide Bolt Thrower. Small maze was in front of the elven warriors but other than that only the forest was in their path.

James won the roll off and his was first turn!

Dwarves - Turn 1


Castle reshaped!


Opening fire!

Dwarves, seeing Elves deployed to their flank, slightly reshaped their formation to face the approaching enemy. Not many targets were in range so cannons aimed at the Eagle Claw and the only Elven war machine was destroyed. Few older warriors grumbled about elven inability to build anything solid.

Runelord stroke his anvil and two dragon princes were unhorsed while remaining knights had to slow down to control their spooked steeds.

Outcasts - Turn 1


Forward!


Wide outflanking maneuver

Elves moved rapidly but still maintained healthy distance from the deadly Organ Gun. The attempts to cast magic were generally dispelled, only Iceshard Blizzard overwhelmed Thunderers. Due to movement and good protection the shooting by elven army was unimpressive.

Dwarves - Turn 2


Miners enter the battle field!


This time cannon crews practice shooting at moving targets

Dwarven miners appear in the nearby woods and prompted by the sound of the Anvil, charge! Sisters and Sea Guard do not fancy being charged to the flank by a bunch of dirty Dwarves and retreat to the center of the formation.

Cannon crewmen had made a small wager who can kill the eagle first and the guys who operate the one with flaming cannonballs win the bet!

Outcasts - Turn 2


Fighting fire with fire!


Outflanking continues

Bob the BSB ordered his Archers to reform and shoot at the Miners. Despite protection from the nearby trees a few of them fell to some well placed arrows.

Other regiments kept moving around the flank and again tried to maintain the distance that didn't allow the Organ Gun to fire. Larry the Loremaster this time won the mind war against the Runesmith. A Fireball materialized out of thin air and consumed the crew of the Organ Gun. Now that the most dangerous war machine was silenced Elves hoped to speed up their advance.

Dwarves - Turn 3


Cannons aim at densely packed Swordmasters


Miners charge but fail!

Dwarven artillery might have been weakened but could still hurt. A few Swordmasters were knocked down by cannon balls. Miners once again charge the Elves but this time were met by arrows and to their surprise Elves fought. And what is more they fought so well that Miners lost heart and fled only to be caught by fleet footed Archers.

Outcasts - Turn 3


Dragon Princes vs Dragon Slayers!

The Dwarven battle line was still hard to breach but one of the units of Dragon Princes spotted two lone figures near the phalanx of warriors. They leveled their lances and charged two orange hair lunatics, avenging some great wyrms from the ages past that fell to the axes of these barbaric Dwarves. One of them found his death in combat but the second one was still there to fight!

Dwarves - Turn 4


Dwarves fight back


Hammer time!

Warriors moved fast but their short legs gave no hope to catch swift reavers who feigned flight and moved out of harms range. Exposed Dragon Princes were not quick enough to get second Dragon Slayer and fell to the powerful counter charge by the Hammerers.

Dwarven line was not as smooth any more but the warriors still presented unified front.

Outcasts - Turn 4


Ellyrian Reavers blocking the enemy units - at least that was the plan!


Swordmasters challenge Dwarven Warriors

Elves move much faster now and position themselves for inevitable fights. Reavers perform tough duty of harassing and distracting the enemy while Swordmasters challenge Warriors to enter the combat and show who is more skillful in wielding great weapons.

Dwarves - Turn 5


Hammerers outsmart the Reavers


While warriors finally catch some light cavalry

Dwarves decided that attack is the best form of defense and charged again. Warriors fought the reavers, who this time held their ground but after quick exchange of blows only single horsemen was left and he could not hold against the whole regiment of angry Dwarves.

Second unit of Reavers was ignored and Hammerers, as if magic touched, reformed swiftly and charged exposed flank of Swordmasters who had to retreat. Fortunately, Hammerers were not fast enough to get into contact with any other unit.

Outcasts - Turn 5


Attack on the left flank


Units on the right flank stand by

Swordmasters and Archers charge in unison against the warriors who suffer horrendous casualties but bite back and are still steadfast.

White Lions guard the flank of their companions by moving in front of the hammerers and blocking their path to the combat. On the right flank units move and counter move but still do not commit.

Dwarves - Turn 6


Who is more stubborn?

Few Swordmasters die to Dwarven axes but not before they fell many of the warriors. With pressure from the flank they do not have numbers any more to hold. They break and once more, humble Archers run down their foes and capture their standard.

White Lions attack Dwarven BSB but somehow fail miserably. The retribution was swift and only thanks to their stubbornness they held their ground.

Outcasts - Turn 6


Surrounded but holding the line


Last push!

Elves orchestrated the last powerful attack. On the left Reavers attacked the cannon, destroyed it and overrun in time to join Archers attacking Thunderers. Combined effort destroyed that unit too.

Meanwhile, on the right flank, 3 units charged against the Dwarven warriors. However, the attack was not as powerful as expected and not as many Dwarves fell as Elves would want to. Hard pressed Warriors managed to hold their ground. Barely!

While the Dwarven army was still a force in strength, their positions were overrun and they didn't maintain the formation so the main objective for Elves, to break through, was achieved.

After-battle thoughts

First of all, I would like to thank James for as always enjoyable game. It was a very close game, as in the end I managed to scrap 11-9 victory. It seems that I lost a few units on the way and the fact that the last charge didn't break second units of warriors also mattered.

In general I was happy with the way the army worked this time. There was a lot of going on and the game was not boring at all. As always there are things that I think could have been done better.

I think moving away from the forest on the left was a mistake as I didn't avoid the miners and they slowed the advance instead. I believe I should have positioned Lions on that flank as even if charged they should hold the attackers in place and would allow for the counter charge.

Placing Swordmasters in front of the maze was also a mistake. Shooters would have been way better there as they don't have to advance that fast but can still be active.

The most serious mistake was with the reavers that supposed to block hammerers. I didn't do it well enough and they could charge anyway, thanks to the Anvil of course. Fortunately for me, James didn't attack with Warriors to pin the unit down as it would have seen them dead for sure. Warriors to the front and Hammerers to the flank would have destroyed them easily and put other units in danger too.

I am very happy with the last turn charges though. I was close to breaking that second unit of warriors but true to Dwarven fashion they were too stubborn to admit defeat

I hope you enjoyed the report!

Thanks for reading!

[korabas]

Ooh, looking forward to seeing you outmaneuver the Dwarven castle! Miners could be a thorn, depending on when they show up, of course. I suppose the Dwarves will otherwise maintain a fairly tight formation to protect the warmachines - could be a pretty tricky match!

[Stormie]

Cor, Dwarfs get (got) off pretty easy on Swedish comp by the looks of it!

I'm unsure on the castle though, that line of Thunderers in front of all those warmachines looks very easy to break through. Maybe it's a trap!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks for the predictions, you can now check how accurate they were!

Cheers!

[Velmates]

Hey, Swordmaster!

First of all my greatest respect to your reports. I love them and am always checking for a new one. That said, I am really anxious to read your mentioned review of your list! I hope it won't take too much time to write it up...

I am trying to get a test game with MSU myself but at the moment I am somewhat stuck with the list building. It is so much more difficult than other approaches since you have to consider so many different elements. Maybe MSU is for more experienced players than me who have a better understanding of the role of each unit but I don't want to accept this as a fact. As far as I can see with MSU it is not so much the list that matters but the skill of the player (a fact that makes it even more interesting) but maybe you can provide some time a kind of "how to" where you touch up on the basic principles when starting to write a list. (If you or someone else has already done this, I am sorry but I couldn't find anything. Maybe you can provide a link?...). I would highly appreciate it!

Thank you for your time and help (and the great time I have reading your posts!)!

[Ferny]

@Velmates

I won't answer for swordmaster, but check out this thread where I ask similar questions to you and there's a bit of discussion:

http://www.ulthuan.net/forum/viewtopic. ... &start=870

I'm also planning to give it a go. I think there are multiple viable MSU lists and I reckon to really pull it off you do need an excellent overview of what you want from each unit and critically from the force as a whole. I suspect advanced players will pull this off best...but there's only one way to become an advanced player . I'm gonna give it a go tonight for the fun of something different. I expect I'll get my ass handed to me, but so long as it's a fun game and I learn something from it then I'm cool with that .

[Velmates]

I won't answer for swordmaster, but check out this thread where I ask similar questions to you and there's a bit of discussion:

I appreciate every input, Ferny . I have already read this thread in your link and now I have reread it and I have to admit, you and Swordie discussed almost everything that troubled me. It seems I am not the only one that has these exact problems with the first MSU list... (not that I thought that). Thanks for pointing that out!


And of course you are right (and this was my point as well): there is only one way of becoming an experienced player^^.

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks a lot for comments and questions! Always appreciated!

@ Velmates

Thanks! I am always happy to hear the reports are good read and entertainment!

I promise to write a summary of each unit performance as I have already came up with some new (for me!) ideas I would like to implement. But I want to do that in order and I think if I do that in the context of what each unit achieved it will be more interesting. So, please, a little more patience and I hope you will not be disappointed. All I can say for now is that the theme can be "Need for Speed" and that when I was pondering on changes I was influenced by Scars (Horus Heresy book) and some very good podcast on Mongol conquest (for those interested look for Wrath of Khans on Hardcore History).

I am not sure if you necessary need more experience to try out MSU. If you have more games under your belt you definitely have better understanding of the game, regardless of the army you play with. What is true about MSU, however, is that it is very unforgiving style and mistakes are punished heavily. In order to win games you have to be at your top level. Even more so now when people know about MSU, played against it and don't necessarily feel so surprised by it. Look at the last game as an example! James played against my force twice before and he didn't make the mistakes of overexposing his regiments. He got far better result than before.

But because of that low risk factor it gives you other challenges to meet and I find it very appealing. It is basically the style for those who like Movement phase the most where you try to use swarming to overwhelm your enemy.

If you would like to read more in details about MSU the way I saw it check the link in my signature about MSU Observations It is quite long, so be warned! And if you do, please, come back and tell me what you think!

But to answer your question briefly I try to look at these things:

1. Characters

You have to have them. BSB is incredibly important, probably the most important in the army. You can tailor his equipment in different ways. I used Reaver Bow + Potion of Strength because I like my characters to multi-task. But I have also found out he has some disadvantages which I will discuss in the army list topic

You also need a general. I go for either Loremaster or Archmage because they fit in into the multi-tasking role perfectly. They provide Inspiring Presence, they cast spells and Loremaster can be quite decent fighter.

You can add more characters but you have to remember each one of them above the two you have to have needs proper reasoning to be included. Even the cheapest hero costs as much as a unit. because of that, if you include one, make sure it can do something no other unit can and that he can also be a unit on his own if necessary.

2. Speed & Manoeuvre

MSU army wins games in Movement phase. For that you need speed but also ability to manoeuvre. It might not be the same thing. Elves in general are good in that department. I like to have fast cavalry for that reason. Fliers and skirmishers in general have a lot of freedom of movement but in our army lists these units are often more of a support (which is of course very important). Single flying characters, skycutters and as you can see in some versions, even phoenix can add to that.

In order to make infantry faster I always include musicians for swift reforms. I also like it for my cavalry but sometimes points are tight and you have to make concessions.

3. Large volume of attacks & high strength

All you do in the movement phase is to prepare your units for that devastating multi charge from many directions. But in order to make it truly devastating you need high strength attacks and if possible, large amount of them on a small frontage. Thanks to that you can achieve local superiority and kill many enemy troops in a single round of combat.

That is why I like including Swordmasters, Dragon Princes and White Lions. But they are not the only regiments with potential to deal damage.

4. Support

The principle of MSU army allows for any unit to be sacrificed for the greater good or any unit to perform the task of any other so that you have built in redundancy. Obviously, it is not always the same thing when you bait the enemy with your harder hitting unit than when you divert it with the eagle.

But you do need support to win the movement phase (and I don't say "chaff" because I don't have throw away units in my army. They are all ready to make a noble sacrifice, they are not throw away units like skaven slaves! ). What is more, support does not only mean being in the way of a more powerful enemy. it means that it is good to have some shooting to clear enemy light troops so that they are either less threat for your own fast elements or are eliminated completely. It means it is good to have the eagles or shadow warriors even if you have reavers, as you have more freedom to choose which unit is going to perform certain duties. While they overlap they are not the same.

Basically, there are many units that can support your army one way or another but you need some of them too.

Other than these general statements it also depends on what kind of MSu style you would like to practice. If you are more of a counter-attacking person then having archers in core might be your way as you can shoot the enemy before your other elements are committed to combat.

If you are more aggressive then maybe more Silver Helms in the core will help you better.

Special units offer huge choice and if you look through some of the battle reports or army lists by other players who use MSU approach you will see how varied their armies are!

It is also very important to include the units you like. I have found out people are more creative when they do so and they find very interesting uses for their favourite choices. So if you feel like you want to include something in particular - go for it! I am sure you will use it to good effect regardless of any naysayers might try to tell you

@ Ferny

Thanks for posting the link to our discussion in the army list thread! I really appreciate your comments and I will get back to you guys over there soon! I have no problems in talking the list in the battle report topic either

One piece of advice I can also give you at this stage is that you should not worry too much about what enemy can do to you. Sure, knowing strengths and weaknesses is important. But you should definitely focus on what you want to do to the foe and his army and let him fear your army instead! It is going to be the challenge to make small units work together but trust me. You learn more when you focus on positive side and how to maximise your strengths and how to overcome bigger enemy. So have some faith in your excellent troops and they will help you to achieve a great victory!

Looking forward to reading about your first time experience with MSU!

Cheers!

[Jimmy]

Hey SM

Apologies for the lateness of the reply to your Game 6.

Amazing to see you systematically wear down the enemy defences, taking out the organ gun and then proceeding to seal the envelope. Some tricky moves with the hammerers and anvil however you countered well and even with the Miners on your flank you reacted really well and disposed of them. The Archers performed extremely well in that game I feel.

Well done and another great performance.

[RE.Lee]

Great read! I liked the slow surrounding maneuver and then the unresistable combined charges on turn 6 - you really know how to dictate the flow of battle (in my case turns 5 and 6 are usually spent desperately trying to make up for earlier mistakes ).

Cheers!

[Swordmaster of Hoeth]

Hi guys!

Thanks for comments!

@ Jimmy

No problem at all!

I was very happy how this game evolved in general. I managed to overcome some of the counters my opponent used, although it did slow me down and I think that was crucial. If I were to make that all out attack turn 5 I think the result would have been more into my favour. But I am still happy with the game and the result anyway!

And indeed, Archers were certainly MVP of the match

RE. Lee

Thanks!

I wish I did it so that I had that attack commenced on turn 5, as I have explained to Jimmy.

I was happy with that game. There were some interesting combats. Some punch-counterpunch moves and attacks. I would love to see how would it go if I deployed better (as I have explained in the conclusions) and managed to surround the enemy earlier.

Cheers!