So, first try of the beta rules! I could not get a full 4000 vs 2000 point matchup, but got half of it at least. My friend Axel showed up to help me evaluate the rules. 2000 points of Dark elves VS 1000 points of Empire.
The dark elf assault relied on large blocks of infantry to assult the walls, with a Death sorceress to snipe out my characters. Two units of harpies would engage war machines, particularily the cannon, which is a great threat to the siege towers.
My defence relied on stalwart troops holding the walls with some heavy shooting coming from the towers. With the additional platform on the central tower, I could put out a lot of pain with both a helplaster and 20 handgunners. Behind the tower is a unit of knights in front of a hidden sallying port, ready to charge out at the closing siege towers.
Both siege towers advanced D6" before the battle was commenced, but they got no farther than 2".
First turn starts with my cannon misfiring, making it unable to shoot for two rounds. However, the handgunners and helblaster open up on the witch elves' siege tower and cause three wounds to the structure. In return, the sorceress kills off my fire mage with one of her spells, but the resulting calamitous detonation kills 13 spearelves and cause her a wound! The two units of harpies boldly advance upon the cannon, fearing no retributal should they turn on the hard-working crew.
But the gun tower in the middle turn towards the harpies and evaporate them in a hail of lead.
The sorceress strikes back, sniping out the metal mage with the rod of power, but her own miscast kill five of her elves, which along with the one sacrificed is enough to make the spearelves lose their nerve and run! Apparently, they had no intention of guarding a murderous elven spellbomb!
But she beats some sense into them and rally them to move against the walls of the fortification again. The cannon has finished their reparations and fire upon the wounded siege tower, causing another 2 wounds. The small arms divide their fire and kill 5 spear elves and 8 corsairs. Enough to make the corsairs run for it. But the imperials fail to stop the sorceress from claiming another hero as she sucks the soul out of the Empire BSB.
The dark elves rally and once again advance upon the fortification, while in the background, the siege towers loom ever closer!
But Avast! To the sound of a blaring trumpet, a small force of knights sally forth from a hidden door where they have been hiding! Their charge finds home in the closest siege tower, with only one wound left.
And using their impenetrable (almost) armour to hold the witch elves at bay, thei manage to inflict the last wound on the siege tower, collapsing it over the scantily clad elves! Terrified by the might of the whinnying horses, the witches flee, the knights in hot (although slow) pursuit.
The cannon crew finally get enough of the sorceress's sniping and show her how it's really done. A few seconds later, she is nothing but red mist, much to the relief of the three remaining spearelves.
Unfazed by the annihilation of their leader, the corsairs determindedly charge the gate, erecting ladders to reach the battlements. The swordsmen welcome them with a shower of rocks and a downpour of boiling oil. Nevertheless, only three corsairs fall, and their assasin spring forth to be the first atop a ladder. However, the swordmen refuse to give ground to the elves and kill enough to hold them at bay. The corsairs resolutely stand their ground.
Despite a cannonball reducing it to a single wound, the ramining siege tower finally hit the wall and por out executioners onto the waiting greatswords. Steel meet steel, but in a show of dashing, simultaneous hack-and-slash, the first wave ot executioners lay dead at the battlements. The executioners keep pouring through the tower, but the greatswords hold them at bay and they never manage to sieze the ramparts.
The corsairs fair as badly, in spite of the assassin trying to cut his way over the wall. The penalties for assaulting by ladder prove to much to overcome and the corsairs fight to the last elf, refusing to give up the assault.
Result: A massacre before the killing grounds! Although the heroes of the empire, two mages, five knights and a battle standard bearer gave up their lives, no elf stepped beyond the castle walls!
Well, this was a try of the unfinished 8th edition siege rules. A few thoughts derived from the battle:
o Move models up into the siege tower when deploying. It is not worth spending a turn moving into it and not rushing through the hail of fire.
o Siege towers are vulnerable to massed small arms fire. The dark elves had no counter to the large amount of shooting pouring from the middle tower and although the dark elves had twice as many points, the Empire could easily outshoot them. Perhaps giving towers an armour save or even more wounds would help them reach the wall. Perhaps an ability to upgrade them?
o A few grey areas when combining the step-up rule with assaulting the walls.
o Although they fought bravely, the corsairs with their assassin could not break through the swordsmen. Had they siezed the rampart, it would have been another affair. Perhaps it was just luck on the empire side, perhaps the combat was weighed too much in favour of the defenders.
o Even the Executioners in their siege tower had trouble siezing the ramparts. While they could get 2 attacks, the greatswords returned with 5 and managed to kill them as quickly as they entered the ramparts, resulting in a long, slow grind. Perhaps a combat hero for the dark elves would have tipped the scales? Or is it too much in favour of the defenders, being able to both destroy combo-charging siege towers and whittle down the attackers from the safety of the walls? Perhaps striking in ranks would work on the siege tower ramp? That would have given the exes 4 attacks versus the defending 5, and quickly resulting in siezing the ramparts.
Balancing will be hard :-/
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the report
Shadowwolf
