The last game of the tournament saw me drop down to table 8 from table 2. At this point I just wanted to secure a somewhat decent overall position. Suffice is to say, I knew I had to work hard with the last matchup being Dark Elves - always a tough matchup for us. I was determined to make it work however, after all this tournament had shown me how this army can play. Game on!
.::. Battle Report - 2d6 Challenge #5 vs Dark Elves (GF) .::. Points Before the Game: 43/80
Lists:
Quote:
Anointed of Asuryan on Flamespyre Phoenix: Giant Blade, Dawnstone, Enchanted Shield, Potion of Foolhardiness, 430 (1CP)
Noble on Ithilmar Barded Elven Steed: Battle Standard Bearer, Dragon Armour, Golden Crown of Atrazar, Star Lance, Shield, Dragonhelm, 172
High Mage: Level 2, Sceptre of Stability, Obsidian Amulet: 165
High Mage: Level 2, Dispel Scroll, Ring of Fury: 170 (1CP)
2x 10 Silver Helms: FCG, Shields, 2x 260
5 Ellyrian Reavers: 80
2x 9 Shadow Warriors: Shadow-walker 2x 136
15 Sisters of Avelorn: 210
Frostheart Phoenix: 240 (2CP)
2x 1 Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower: 2x 70 (1CP)
Army Total: 2399 - 5/5CP spent
Quote:
Dreadlord on Manticore with Iron Hard Skin, 1+, Charmed Shield, No-armour save sword
L4 Dark Magic, Hotek, Scroll
BSB, Peg, 4++
Death Hag, Witchbrew
15 Witchelves, muso
15 Witchelves, muso
5 Dark Riders, kit
7 Dark Riders, kit
15 Black Guard, muso
10 Shades
1 Reaper
1 Hydra
2x5 Warlocks
Pre-battle thoughts and deployment:This would be a game I knew would be dominated by mobility, force concentration and shooting power. I deployed heavily towards his weak flank, intending to wipe it all there in 2 turns (much like I did in game 1, only in this game I could deploy even better to this end) and then wheel towards the center. I had the Knights towards the center where I was intending to zone his infantry, hoping to have the mobility to move out if trouble started.



In a flurry of magic and shooting his Shades and a unit of Warlocks disappear immediately. On the West, I charge his Warlocks which flee. I figured that I didn't lose anything as my zoning was good as we were, and if he held and I'd reach him it would be a huge pain for him to deal with. He responded by trying to move up the center, but he was cautious of all my troops there.


This was a tricky spot. I declared BSB + Knights into far-away Dark Riders on the West. With Valour of Ages, re-rolls from the BSB aren't that important. I needed to roll 8+ to reach him. The other knights charged warlocks who fled, I redirected into the Hydra. The Anointed charged the Witchelves. This was set up so that if I beat the Hydra, I'd overrun into the Witchelves frontally. With the Anointed, this would be brutal. The Anointed failed to roll his 7+. The BSB + Knights failed to roll the 8+. The Hydra was thus engaged by the last Helms, who did next to nothing as I rubber lanced. It held. I waked the Anointed to a somewhat better spot. He counter-charged with Witchbrew + Death Hag unit. At least I had established complete control of the East, but the Frostheart was so far away and time was running out for my center.


Everything dispersed from the center. The Anointed set up behind him, waking as he went along. Frostheart joined in. In return, his Black Guard started walking towards me with Warlocks (!) zoning the BSB.


BSB with Knights and Frostheart combo-charged the Witchelves. Elsewhere I did the best I could to evade his dangerous units. Anointed blocked out the Black Guard, with wake + shooting they were severely reduced and posed no real threat. His BSB fled from a panic test, much to my relief.



Frostheart locked down his BSB. Eventually the cavalry + Anointed made it in, as well. His Manticore-lord then rear-charged the Knights and killed them all, this was the last thing that happened in the game.
He had lost basically everything apart from the lord if I remember correctly but I had suffered some terrible losses in return. Counting up the points it was a
17-3 victory to the High Elves!EvaluationI managed to pull through with my plan, more or less, but I felt the Knights in the center got a bit crowded and counter-zoned too early. This was largely due to the big impossible piece but superior deployment would've saved me this pain. I should've swapped one of the busses for the Frostheart because the Frostheart zones the manticore extremely well. Having it run down the Reaper was a mistake as I was unable to make its presence felt in the center for too long.
The cavalry charging so early was perhaps a bit of an unnecessary gamble on my part. I probably could have waited out his moves for one more turn before committing. Losing the Helms to the Hydra was a big blow, but the opportunity for the Anointed to land corner-to-corner with the Witchelves on a 17" charge was too good to miss. I am very likely to break him in two rounds of combat without suffering too badly in return.
In the end magic + shooting were the big winners here, slowly whittling him down. Throughout the tournament my Sisters were absolute beasts and I have a new-found respect for their innate BS5 in combination with Hand of Glory. They are not RBTs, but combined with RBTs (you can only take 4, after all) they create a fearsome firebase.
Post-tournament analysis coming upOpponent's Final Placing: 23/32My Final Placing: 6/32My Points: 60/100