Hello everyone and thanks for reading! This is my first attempt at a battle report. I hope you enjoy. Now onto the lists...
EmpireCore39 Halberdiers w/FC 390 pts
13 Swordsmen detachment
5 Archer detachment
9 Knights of the White Wolf w/FC and the gleaming pennant 260 pts
LordsArchlector w/biting blade, talisman of endurance, Van Horstmans Speculum, War Altar 338 pts
Wizard Lord Lvl 4 Lore of Light w/dispel scroll 225 points
Spells: Shem's Burning Gaze, Speed of Light, Banishment, Bironas Time Warp
HeroesCaptain of the Empire BSB w/Full plate,Shield,Dragon Helm, Sword of Striking, luckstone 123 pts
Warrior Priest w/war horse, barding, Heavy Armor, shield, Sword of Battle pts 105
Witch Hunter w/ brace of pistols 55 pts
Master Engineer 65 pts
Special3 Demigryph Knights w/ FC 204 pts
5 Pistoliers w/Outrider 110 pts
RareSteam Tank 250 pts
Hellblaster Volleygun 120 pts
Here's the VC list as best I can remember. I don't remember any of his magic items or upgrades
VCCore41 ghouls
10 dire wolves
15 skeletons
LordsHeinrich Kemmler
Krell
HeroesLvl 2 Necromancer on a corpse cart
Special3 Varghiest
25 Graveguard
RareBlack Coach
Mortis Engine
DeploymentThe scenario was meeting engagement. The battlefield was divided along the long diagonal and the armies could not place units within 6 inches of the diagonal. The only unit that got held in reserve on my end was the warrior priest while my opponents grave guard also arrive as reinforcements. I had to place all my units first.
My plan during deployment was simple. On my left flank I deployed the Stank and the DGK's with the idea of pinning a unit with the stank (preferably the grave guard or the ghouls either one is a prime target for the stank) then flank charge said unit with the DGK's. Next was the HBVG manned by the ME, followed by the Halberdiers and their detachments. I deployed my detachments to the left of the halberdiers, and I believe this was a mistake. You see my intention for the swordsmen detachment was to pin a unit for a turn taking advantage of the fact that detachments can use their parent's ranks when determining steadfast, and since this task is already being fullfuilled by the stank on the left, the swordsmen should have been deployed on the right of the halberdiers (the fact that the swordsmen got in the way and prevented the halberdiers from charging something that was stuck in combat with the stank drives home this conclusion). Holding my right flank were the Knights of the White Wolf (sorely missing the Warrior Priest) followed by the Pistoliers who make a 12 inch vanguard move into the forest. The War Altar was placed behind and to the right of the halberdiers. This is another aspect of deployment where I think I should have done differently; I had kitted the Archlector with the speculum ready to charge his vampires - hopefully his general - and slay the abominations. With this in mind, the war altar should have been deployed up front with the rest of the men ready to charge when the opportunity presents itself. Alas I deployed him in a strictly supportive posture wasting the points I had spent on his magic items
The BSB and the witch hunter were deployed in with the halberdiers. The witch hunter accuses Kemmler of Heresey, which he is most certainly guilty of, but a better target would have been the necromancer simply because Kemmler can chose to become ethereal meaning my witch hunter could not land a single blow on him!
His deployment of the ghouls was a mistake. Since he got to deploy his units after I deployed my entire army, he should have placed the ghouls directly in front of my knights! This is the enemy fighting the battle on his terms. The ghouls would relish executing a frontal charge against those knights...as we will see, this mistake, coupled with the fact that the grave guard get held in reserve, left his right flank dreadfully exposed
Empire Turn 1
The steam tank generates 3 steam points and barrels forward 9 inches. The DGK's move up along the enemy's right flank. The state troopers move towards the left placing the ruins 6 inches away and directly in front of the halberdiers (this leaves the halberdiers options open: they can charge right or left next turn and have room for a full 90 degree pivot). The witch hunter marches forward towards Kremmler. The KotWW close the gap on the black coach and the war altar moves up in support. The hellblaster kills a vargheist and the achers manage to put a wound on them as well. The pistoliers kill 4 dire wolves with their pistols.
VC Turn 1
His ghouls charge the steam tank and put two wounds on it while the dire wolves charge the pistoliers who stand and shoot and kill 1.
His Vargheists fly in behind the steam tank and land in front of the HBVG. The corpse cart and mortis engine move forward. Kemmler and the skeletons move to his right. He moves the black coach up close to the ruins to protect his flank from a charge from the War Altar. The grave guard move 4 inches away from the table edge.
He casts gaze of nagash on my warrior priest, and I let it go (he's out of the game, so I didn't try and dispell it. Stopping the augment spells is more important). He kills my warrior priest, but I dispel his danse macabre and hellish vigour casted at the ghouls.
The pistoliers take a wound but crumble the dire wolves and reform to face the grave guard.
Empire Turn 2
Steam Tank generates 4 steam points and the DGK's charge the ghouls in the flank. KotWW charge the black coach. I wanted to charge the ghouls with the swordmen and the halberdiers but the archers were in the way. The halberdiers perform a swift reform and prepare to charge next turn. The witch hunter continues to move toward kemmler The archers move in behind the swordsmen. Pistoliers move in front of the grave guard preventing them from charging the KotWW in the flank. The war altar moves up positioning itself so that both the kotww and the halberdiers are inside of his 6 in bubble.
Pistoliers kill one grave guard with their pistols and the HBVG annihilates the Vargheists. Witch hunter shoots at the necromancer and misses.
Archlector successfully casts hammer of sigmar allowing the knghts to re roll failed to-wound rolls.
Steam tank grinds and uses the steam gun. The men of the empire pass their fear tests and after combat 11 ghouls remain. The steam tank has 6 wounds left and the DGK's take 2 wounds. The KotWW put 3 wounds on the black coach and suffer 2 in return.
Things are looking good for the empire
VC Turn 2
His grave guard charge the pistoliers. Who stand and shoot killing 1. The mortis engine charges the DGK's.
He gets off danse macabre getting his corpse cart in range of the combat, and since it had been targeted by the spell it gave his units ASF. I use the dispel scroll to dispel a boosted invocation of nehek (I think I needed a 23 to dispel it).
The pistoliers die a glorious death, and after combat there are 9 ghouls remaining. 1 DGK dies. I kill the black coach with 4 knights remaining!
Empire Turn 3
I charge the skeletons with knights and the witch hunter charges kemmler while the state troops charge the ghouls.
I successfully cast hammer of sigmar once again giving the knights re rolls to failed to-wound rolls.
The steam tank grinds down the remaining ghouls and the DGK, along with the halberdiers, finish off the mortis engine. It blows up and kills a few state troops. The knights completely crumble the skeletons and kemmler along with them!
After this my opponent resigned. A great victory for the Empire!
Lessons Learned- Pistoliers are excellent flank protectors for knights because they can keep up with them! They also proved effective against his dire wolves. I wonder how they match up against harpies?
- I think focusing on the Vargheists with the HBVG was critical. These creatures pose a real threat. They were his hammer unit and a fast moving one at that. The manner in which the battle with the ghouls unfolded convinced me that the Vargheist were the right target. The stank coupled with the DGK proved up to the task of handling the ghould horde. They required no support from the HBVG.
- Had the archers not been in the way, the halberdiers could have charged the ghouls in the flank as well! In that case the game would have been decided as early as turn 2. I'm still learning the finer points of maneuvering with horde/detachments. Any insight here would be appreciated
- My opponent made three egregious errors. The first, as I mentioned earlier, was his deployment of the ghouls. More challenging would have been to deploy the ghouls in front of the knights with the Vargheists in support. I would have had a much harder time in this situation! Second was charging the steam tank! That was exactly what I wanted. Never charge an anvil without units in position to protect your flanks (one caveat would be if the attacker has a reasonable chance of destroying the anvil on the charge). Third, was placing the Vargheists in range of the HBVG
