Battle Report - Continued
Daemons Turn 2
The bloodletters refused to charge the eagle to prevent either Seredain's knights or the spearelves from closing in for a saucy flank charge. They shuffled back a little. Daemon player was happy to take his time and win a surround which, presumably, he was hoping I was going to march straight into in an effort to close with his blocks. The daemonettes therefore came on a little while the flesh hounds duly closed in further to form a ring around my army's left flank, anchored by the stone tower on my left and the daemonettes to my front. The Bloodthirster likewise hopped over the tower and placed himself in the rear of my deployment zone, staring at the flank of half my army's units and wondering which he'd like to chew on. All the Slaaneshi units facing my right-hand shooting hill sped forwards with the daemonettes, amazingly, managing to scrape out of my spearelves' line of sight with an 11" march and 1" wheel, by literally 3mm. I'd moved my spears too far forward by a fraction. Damn. The fiend, meanwhile, looked set to chomp a repeater next turn.
Magic was another dud for my opponent. He rolled some decent dice but I dispelled well and, finally, he failed to get off a long-range Dwellers against my spearelves on 5 or 6 dice, the shortfall between a level 2 and a level 4 caster making the difference.
High Elves Turn 2
Now was the time to begin cutting my way out of Daemon's trap and setting my own. I'd crush the dogs and daemonettes, then get to work surrounding the bloodletters, keeping the Thirster at bay with challenges, shooting and Life magic. Lord Seredain cried out the elven equivalent of
"Let's do this!"
The white lions and princes together charged the nearest flesh hounds by the tower, the cavalry effortlessly vaulting its adjoining wall and both units clearing the Bloodthirster's line of sight. The silver helms tried the same trick with a charge against the daemonettes but they couldn't make it (rolling about 4") and shuffled forward again. This was bad but not too bad for me. The helms could receive a charge and win- I just wanted them in combat for as long as possible before the bloodletters shook off my harassment. To ensure this would prove difficult, the eagle resumed his position right infront of the bloodletters while the chariot moved to the helms' right flank, ready to take on eagle-duty in case the bird snuffed it.
On the right flank, the green archers wheeled right so that, in the event of a charge, the small daemonettes wouldn't overrun into a bolt thrower. The spearelves, whose primary task was to support Seredain's knights, decided to waste no time chasing 10 daemonettes around the board and so took a free reform before heading behind the silver helms, facing the left flank to cover my back-line and prevent the Thirster from having free-reign to move around as he pleased (since I was able to hold the 'letters at bay with harassment, this was the greater threat). Lecalion's archers likewise took a free reform, faced the greater daemon then moved backwards 3" to keep their distance (thank you, Leadership 10). The archmage himself, meanwhile, moved out of his unit and to the side of the spearelves. This way, if the Bloodthirster managed a successful (very) long charge against archers, I wouldn't have to worry about losing an archmage into the bargain.
The swordmasters were the last unit to move, moving up to cover the left flank of the helms. They couldn't get out of the charge arc of the Thirster, but in so doing they'd tempt a charge from the central hounds. If the greater daemon did charge them, wounds against the dogs would garner me extra combat res, allow the swords to get some kills before they were destroyed and, further, allow my helms to concentrate on clearing out just the daemonettes- an easy match-up for me. In moving forward in this way the swordmasters would also ensure that any eventual pursuit move made by the BT (at least two turns away since I'd challenge with the bladelord), would take him passed all my other combat units and uselessly out into the middle of the field.
The High Elf centre braces itself for impact.
Magic didn't go brilliantly for me and neither did shooting. Flesh to Stone on the swordmasters was scrolled by the BT (at least I'd got that out of the way), and neither my repeaters, ignoring the nearby fiend and going for the money shot, nor the 14 blue archers managed a single wound on the Bloodthirster. He was at full wounds and about to enter combat. In taking this gamble, I'd also left my machines defenceless. Darn.
"So, what are we shooting at?"
Combat was a different story. My mighty princes (passing their fear test) and white lions (not needing to test for fear against war beasts because of the flaming banner), completely demolished the flesh hounds while losing only a single knight. The white lions overran into the second hound unit (tasty) and the princes, unfortunately failing a restrain test, overran past the second hounds and out into the open left flank.
[This was, of course, a mistake, since you can choose whether or not you want to overrun. My opponent told me I had to test and I didn't follow my gut instinct to argue. Lesson learned!] In any case, the daemons' fence was looking busted, my centre was looking solid and things were going ok.
High Elven elites prove mightier than Khorne's dogs, breaking through the daemons' surround.
Daemons Turn 3
The Bloodthirster charged my swordmasters in the rear as expected, but the central hounds didn't take the bait and elected to charge my silver helms alongside the daemonettes (who rolled impressively for distance). The elven knights lowered their lances and confidently held their ground. On my right flank, the fiend punished one of the repeaters for being foolhardy by charging in while, nearby, the daemonettes charged the green archers, to close to allow a
stand and shoot reaction. The Khorne herald took a punt on charging out of his unit against my chariot (I'd carefully left a corridor for him to flee through), but he couldn't make it far enough, stumbled forward 2" and was now exposed to some missile fire. Arf.
As the army's left flank begins to break free, the High Elf centre is beseiged.
During the magic phase the Tzeentch herald, who had moved to within close range of the spearelves, managed to cast Dwellers Below on them only for Lecalion to scroll it (something told me I'd need those ranks). Everything else was dispelled (including a toughness buff on the herald himself), leaving the caster dangerously exposed to my archers. He did manage, at least, to dispel my Throne of Vines.
Combat began on the right flank with my green archers and repeaters showing what they were made of, the former killing three daemonettes for the loss of only one elf and the latter scoring a wound on the fiend while, miraculously, suffering none in reply! Both combats stuck. In the centre, Caradath called out a challenge and the daemonette champion stepped forward - I knew I'd have to cut through this thing to get to the herald, so I was happy to have the noble do it while the prince concentrated on mincing hounds. The noble elf dispatched the daemon with ease. Likewise the silver helms managed a respectable number of kills while losing only a single knight but the prince, although easily shrugging off the attacks of the khornite hounds, found his efforts frustrated by the wards of the dark gods. Only one wound of four actually went through. Ugh. Still, he'd successfully tanked a load of hits for his companions and I'd won the combat by 3. It could've been more and the dogs weren't at all fussed, but three daemonettes vanished into the ether.
Seredain's companions hack their way into the heart of the daemon army, but their efforts are frustrated by the dark gods.
[photo is pre-combat]
The archers show the world how it's done while the twisting Tzeentch caster hangs a "Shoot me!" sign on his disk.
The combat on the left, meanwhile, needed to go well for me so that I could get the valuable lions and princes into the centre to form my own surround. It did not go well. The lions didn't score an impressive number of hits but, even so, managed 5 wounds on the hounds, only to see every single one of them saved by wards. They stood there, stunned, before an entire rank of them were torn to pieces. Khorne's thunderous laugh boomed over the field. Regardless of their peril, the remaining lions held, but they had another two turns of combat to go before the princes rode to the rescue and it was by no means certain that they'd last that long. My attack on the left flank had stalled, badly.
While all this was going on, the swordmaster bladelord made his way to the Bloodthirster, bravely challenged him and quickly got himself smashed into vapour. The steadfast swordmasters resolved to stand by their prince, however, gritting their teeth and simply turning to face their doom.
High Elves Turn 3
The disaster on the left flank had left my plan damaged but not in tatters - the princes were looking to get a rear charge on the left-hand hounds in a couple of turns and the bloodletters, stuck behind their silly herald, would be unable to stop my general and his knights carving away the central hounds, daemonettes and the expensive Slaaneshi herald, while the bloodthirster was stuck clearing away a 222-point swordmaster unit. The plan was, in short, to soldier on.
The chariot, looking to help break the deadlock developing in the centre, charged the daemonettes who, with only two full ranks left, looked like they were in for some trouble. The princes wheeled round on the left flank to face the rear of the semi-victorious hounds while the eagle positioned himself right infront of the khorne herald (hahaha- this bird was earning his points). The blue archers took a free reform to face the Tzeentch herald, whose
"Shoot me!" sign was now positively neon.
Magic saw Lecalion raise up a Throne of Vines and successfully cast Flesh to Stone on the swordmasters (aha!), though Regrowth on the swords was scrolled (if I could get my bladelord back I'd keep the Thirster there forever, so this was annoying). In the shooting phase, the blue archers took revenge on the HoZ for the successful dispel, filling him with arrows before watching him ooze quietly into nothingness. That was my opponent's magic phase gone. The unengaged repeater, meanwhile, plugged a single bolt into the Khorne herald, scything cleanly through his armour only to find the 5+ ward save preserve his worthless life. Cries of
"Oooo" went up from table-side spectators.
In close combat, the fiend on the right flank ate the last of the repeater crew while the green archers and small daemonettes fought each other to a standstill. On the left, my white lions managed to bring down a hound, lose three of their number and, once again, stoically hold. In the centre, the Bloodthirster destroyed 6 swordmasters despite their monster toughness but, at the end of combat, there was still a full rank of 7 left and they held on Seredain's steadfast leadership. Well done, those elves.
I was looking forward to smashing the combat in the centre but, once again, found myself frustrated by my opponent's increasing tendancy to roll 5's and 6's to save his units. The chariot managed no kills at all on the charge and, although Seredain himself called out the Slaaneshi herald and plunged his sword into her blackened heart, killing her, all my other attacks managed only one wound (argh!). I lost two knights in reply and the combat stuck.
Daemons Turn 4
The only movement available to my opponent saw the fiend charge the remaining repeater on my right flank. In the centre, the herald of Khorne finally decided to rid the world of the damned eagle and charged it. I held it to deny a redirected charge into the helms. Behind all this the Bloodletters, who still had no way into the central combat, shifted sideways toward my left-hand side of the field, hoping to find an angle in there.
During the magic phase, my opponent just used all his power dice to dispel Throne of Vines.
Combat saw the fiend yomp the last bolt thrower and the small daemonettes begin to gain the upper hand on the archers, who nonetheless brought a few daemons down and held their ground. On my left flank, the white lions killed another hound but suffered severe casualties. Only the guardian was left at the end of combat though, once again, he bravely held his ground. The Bloodthirster, livid about being held up for two whole turns already, seemed distracted and only managed to squish 4 stony swordmasters. However, despite receiving a wound himself (at last), he'd finally reduced their numbers to such that they could no long hold. The swordmasters duly broke and fled, but fortune sped their feet and took them a full 12" away while the Thirster managed only 8". Stuck out in the middle of the field, with no victory points and nothing visible to charge, the beast could only roar his frustration. The Khorne herald, meanwhile, easily dispatched the great eagle and reformed to face my knights in the centre who had, once again, found their attacks bounced by an incredible number of lucky ward saves.
High Elves Turn 4
The three remaining swordmasters continued to flee from the Bloodthirster, running into the daemons' deployment zone. On the left flank, however, the princes finally slammed into the rear of the hounds fighting the last white lion. Hoorah!
Other movement saw my archers free reform to face the Bloodthirster and my spearelves free reform to face the Khorne herald before advancing to cover the right flank of Seredain's knights. The archmage Lecalion moved left, out into the field, to ensure he was within range of both the helms and the remaining white lions, who were begging for a decent casting of regrowth some time soon. Of course he carefully ensured that he was out of sight of the bloodthirster, stood very close on the left-hand side.
During the magic phase, Lecalion cast Throne and successfully buffed the silver helms with Flesh to Stone. Regrowth on the white lions was dispelled, however - my opponent having saved all his dice for it. In the shooting phase, the blue archers finally put a wound on the Bloodthirster, bringing him down to 3 wounds.
Combat, then - and a big round, this. With the dogs on the left gone and my prince and BSB both free in the central combat, the daemons were in for some serious pain! Except they weren't. The charging princes and remaining white lions managed only one wound between the lot of them, my opponent rolling six ward saves out of seven. Then, in the central combat, he did it again - saving six out of eight ward saves. His daemons in the centre then managed to kill two knights, despite them all having toughness 7 and AS 2+. Both combats stuck. I was stunned. On the right flank, the daemonettes killed some more of the green archers and made some decent saves to win combat, but the archers held on Ld 6. That was something, but I was starting to feel that fate was against me.
Daemons Turn 5
Despite the dark gods cackling in his ears, there still wasn't much my opponent could do to alter the game in his favour. The Bloodthirster, with no charges on, decided to get a view of the field while also hiding from the archers. I got the feeling he was afraid of getting involed in the central combat for fear that I'd bounce him with my prince and finally kill enough to blow him away on combat res. I knew he had a 3+ armour save but whether or not he had the Obsidian Armour (negating my Giant Blade) was actually never made clear. Since he was so cautious, I suspected not. In any case, the greater daemon flew to the stone tower on my left and hid behind it, giving him a better view of the board (including a view (just) of both of my cavalry regiments), and blocking my archers' view. He was now about 20" away from my helms, however, so a Turn 6 charge on them looked unlikely. Instead, I supposed he wanted his hounds on the left to hold so he could pick up some easy points by killing the princes. The remaining fiend was likewise feeling cowardly, deciding that it couldn't achieve anything with my archmage and archers so close and still at full health. It scarpered back from whence it had come. The bloodletters took a free reform and moved to my left again to open up a possible approach into the silver helms on that side (though their own units still stood in the way of a Turn 6 charge). They were joined by the herald of Khorne.
Magic saw Throne dispelled again - no biggy.
Combat and, in the centre, it was just more of the same. I managed to scrape a wound off a hound and kill two or three daemonettes when my opponent again rolled about five successful saves out of eight wounds, then killed a silver helm and wounded the noble Caradath. I won the combat, but the daemons' instability test was passed with the Khorne herald's re-roll. On the right flank, the daemonettes finally broke and chased down the stalwart green archers. With only four of them standing, however, they were no threat to my remaining archer unit and looked set to become pincushions next turn. Meanwhile, on the left flank, my opponent finally failed some ward saves (but only about half), allowing me to kill a hound and, finally, pop the other. The last white lion was killed but, at last, the four princes were free.
I hadn't been taking any photos of all these combats because everything had been so static that I had become depressed. At this stage, however, I came to my senses and grabbed a view of the field.
The battle for the centre - end of Daemon Turn 5.
High Elves Turn 5
On balance, the big combat was still mine to win (he wasn't able to break me) but, unless I was able to kill the bloodletter block, I wouldn't get the full load of campaign points I wanted. I was ahead on battle points and my units were fairly secure, but I wanted the big win and reckoned I could get it. I still had the last turn to counter my opponent's moves and get me final charge I needed. I just had to draw the bloodletters into combat...
Movement, then. The spearelves swift-reformed yet again and moved behind the silver helms before making a slight wheel to the right in order to cover the silver helms' left flank with their field of vision. The blue archers made another swift reform (my prince and BSB's leadership had allowed me to do this literally every turn), faced right and advanced 5" to put the small daemonettes within close range. On the left flank, the princes made a slight move (perhaps 1" back or to the side), to cover the centre of the field without putting themselves in line of sight of the Bloodthirster. Lecalion likewise kept himself in play while keeping out of sight.
Magic. Throne was dispelled by my opponent but Flesh to Stone went up on the silver helms (toughness 5 knights would very much help with The Plan), as did Regrowth, raising two knights and bringing the unit up to 4 strong. Caradath's lost wound was healed. In the shooting phase, the blue archers fired a full volley into the daemonettes and killed all four, bagging me some more points.
The only combat now was in the centre. Predictably, my helms and chariot combined managed only a single wound against the daemonettes, now stood at 7 strong (ugh- they'd lost only a handful of models in all these turns of combat). Seredain and Caradath went to work on the hounds, however, finally getting through some ward saves and killing the last two. This left the gate open for the bloodletters to finally get into close combat. Since I had toughened knights, I felt the risk of a charge was acceptable: my opponent wouldn't be able to get many daemons into combat (especially because of the herald's large base), and I had killy characters with excellent leadership to counter his ranks. Crucially, though, if my knights held I'd have counter-charges on for my spearelves and princes which could get me the big win. The only question, then, was
would I hold?
Daemons Turn 6
A roar rose up as the daemons, eager for victory, declared their charge. Unsurprisingly, their master the Bloodthirster couldn't close the 20" gap and was stuck out of the game, but the Bloodletters and their mighty herald smashed into Seredain's knights alongside the daemonettes. The High Elf prince heard the call of Destiny and challenged the herald of Khorne to immortal combat. Despite invoking the power of Loec, however, he managed only one wound on the herald, who made three out of his four ward saves then, when forced to re-roll the successful saves, three out of three. Horrifying. The prince was wily to this stuff by now, however, and had kept his guard ready for the coming onslaught. He parried and shouldered aside everything the daemon threw at him and, in spite of all the luck gifted to him by the gods, the herald could not land a killing blow.
The great daemon's followers, however, were still favoured. The High Elf knights, chariot and valiant noble could only manage one wound between the lot of them as the hellspawn again made save after save. Although their own efforts were foiled by fine elven mail and the blessings of an archmage, the daemons still managed a wound on the chariot and won the combat convincingly. They rushed on, exultant, against the elven lord and his companions and threatened to wholly overwhelm them. The elves needed to test on Leadership 6 to hold. I rolled a 7.
Then I rolled a 5.
High Elves Turn 6
Seeing their leader struggling against overwhelming odds, the High Elves let out an enormous battle cry, lowered their flashing spears and, in a single fluid movement, surged into the fray. The spearelves, blessed by Lecalion with the toughness of stone, crashed into the front of the daemons' formation even as their champion cavalry galloped at full tilt into their rear.
The deciding moment.
Surrounded by the battle-songs of their brothers, the elves were invigorated to new heights of valour. The Chaos gods, furious with their children for so wasting all of their many gifts, turned their gaze away and left the field. Howling filled the air as the daemons began to perish. First, Seredain cleaved Khorne's herald in two and smote his steed to the ground. Emboldened by the spectacle of their Lord, the silver helms and chariot rode roughshod over the daemonettes, killing a whole rank of them while the spearelves and princes simply tore into the bloodletters, slaying without mercy.
Easily over half of Khorne's daemons died in a matter of moments. They struggled to defend themselves but were nothing compared to the mailed fury carving into them from every angle. The scale of their defeat was total and even as they suffered mortal deaths they vanished, howling, from the worldly plain.
Watching impotently in the distance, the Bloodthirster could only bellow his rage. Even as he attempted to close in and take his revenge, his grip upon the world was stolen by a vengeful patron. He faded from view and then was nothing.
The battle was over and I had lost 11 archers, 12 white lions, 2 repeater bolt throwers and an eagle. My opponent had lost everything except the Bloodthirster and a fiend.
Massacre to the High Elves!