Back again, had a game at a new Gaming Group last night; 2000 points against High Elves. Used the same list as the week before when I played my buddy's Brets but I don't count those games as we've played each other so many times!
Anyway, the High Elf player starts to unpack and plonks a Dragon, a frostheart, two eagles, three units of Reavers on the table before he starts to unpack his infantry. I was like Why doesn't the empire have flak cannons?! Anyways here's my list.
Wizard Lord: Level 4 Lore of light, Dispel Scroll (Speed of Light, Light of Battle, Net of Amytok, Birona's Time Warp)
Warrior Priest - Heavy Armour Great Weapon, Opal Amulet, Ironcurse Icon (General in Spears)
Warrior Priest - Heavy Armour Dragonbane Gem, Other tricksters shard Great Weapon (in halbs)
Captain Enc. Shield FP Dawnstone (Battle Standard in halbs)
Engineer
40 Spearmen - FC Shields (H2C)
40 Halberdiers - FC (H3C)
10 Archers
5 Archers Det.
5 Archers Det.
2x Great Cannons
1x Helblaster
1 Hurricanium
1 Steam Tank
My opponent ran something like this
Level 4 Archmage - Shadow, 4+ ward save
Level 2 Light Mage riding Sun Dragon 4+ ward save (Not sure how he had two four ups unless the dragon mages can wear armour?)
3 units of Reavers with Bows and spears, no musicians
16 Lothern Seaguard Full command
2 Great Eagles
19 Pheonix Guarg Full command banner of the World Dragon
1x Frostheart Pheonix
DeployemntFairly Standard, Battle Line formation Archer Skirmishers taking the residents in the ruins on my right, State troopers form up in the middle near a large crater and with a long wall between the lines. Cannons, Engineer and the Steam tank form the left flank. The Helblaster goes to support my State troops along with the hurricanium.
The Elven infantry form the centre with a single unit of reavers, 1 unit of reavers and an eagle on each flank with the Dragon and Frost heart deploying opposite my three cannons (I don't know what he was thinking, other than a first turn rush).
Empire Turn 1The elf vanguards are included here. I reshuffled some of my line, moved a few units up moved the rest tried to close gaps to stop fast cavalry and flyers sneaking past my lines, Boosted light of battle was cast and perhaps Speed of light which was dispelled. Shooting would have to prove effective to thin out some of these flying threats. The Helblaster, which I regrettably no where near an engineer destroyed itself before it fired a shot in anger
, luckily there was no panic caused by the contraptions detonation. Starting as I meant to go on, the first cannon aimed at the frost heart but misfired, the engineers re-roll saved it but the shot fell short, the second cannon hit and got past the ward save but only did one wound. On the far side of the field 20 archers killed a single reaver! It was all down to the Steam tank then, which bucked the trend and managed to hit the frost heart, get past the ward save and take the last four wounds off the giant Ice bird! A cheer went up from the men of the Empire as the frost heart shattered into glass on the farside of the field. Just a dragon and two eagles to deal with now.
High Elf Turn 1Everything moved up, a reaver unit charged my archers, I held as I was fearful of botching a panic test so near my board edge. The reavers vanguards are included in their moves, making their arrows look massive. The magic phase was uneventful, as was the shooting phase, the archers held in their combat thanks to the steadfast of their parent unit and the proximity of the BSB.
Empire Turn 2I again rearranged my lines, the second archer detachment charged the Reavers in the flank. Across the field the steam tank tried a charge on the Dragon but failed, rolled a 4 on 3d6! I ultimately resigned that flank to it's fate but there was still time to bring the dragon down! Magic phase saw Net of Amytok dispelled on the dragon, I buffed my spears with the 5+ ward save in case the dragon came a calling and finally light of battle on the Spearmen. Shooting saw both cannons fail to hit the dragon both falling short despite it being 11" away, even with the engineers re-roll on one of them. The last hope was the steam tanks remaining steam point, the cannonball clunked in the mechanism the shot was close range and had a high chance of over shooting, Otto Von Carius the engineer, wiped his soot stained brow as he lined up the shot at the flying beast. FIRE! The tank recoiled from the shot, the flash blinding the crew. The men of the Empire gasped collectively as the cannonball sailed towards the dragon.
IT WAS A DIRECT HIT! The cannonball killed the dragon out right in addition to killing the mage on top who failed his 4+ Ward save. The men of the Empire cheered as the beast fell to it's ruin before the Steam tank. Meanwhile the archers on the right won the combat against the elves but the fight continued.
High Elf turn 2Respectably, the elf player continued to push forward, both of my cannons on the flank were charged, the main even force moved up, a unit of reavers moved behind the wall. Magic was uneventful, I had to let mindrazor on the pheonix guard go to stop pit of shades on my spearmen. The archers broke the reavers and pursued into the eagle lurking behind them but failed to catch the fast cav.
Empire Turn 3I moved the Steam tank into a posistion to flank the Phoenix guard, the infantry moved up to support the steam tank. The big archer unit moved up to provide it's steadfast to it's detachments. Magic saw Birona's Timewarp cast on the Steam tank, tired to net the Phoenix Guard but it was dispelled. Archers tried to plink a few reavers but no luck; the steam tank used all it's steam moving. A cannon was destroyed in combat but the reavers could,t over run, the archers and one of the cannon crews continued to battle the eagles.
High Elf turn 3The High Elves Manouvered to face the Steam Tank, The reavers that destroyed the cannon charged the engineer next to the remaining canon [Not Pictured! Oops] running him through and into the next cannon which was destroyed, leaving both elf unit to reform. The remaining unengaged reavers charged the large archer unit, stand and shoot was in effective. The fleeing reavers rallied and shot down the unegaged archer detachment. The High elf Mage did the same trick again, threatening Pit of shades and drawing my dispel dice to cast Mindrazor. This made me regret using my dispel scroll in the first turn.
Empire Turn 4The Steam Tank went full steam ahead towards the Sea Guard rather than dealing with the Mindrazored Phoenix Guard, I rolled 16" on three dice combing with Time Warp this made for a stellar 32" movement! CHOO CHOO! The tank went crashing into the Seaguard, who failed their Terror test on impact fleeing 10" running down the Seaguard due to the immense distance of the charge. [We did inquire as to whether the tank should have stopped where it had originally collided with the elves, but the club ref said that the 32" was part of the tanks main move and the elves would have to out pace it to avoid being overrun] the magically enhanced tank literally went to town as it disappeared off the back of the board, leaving the Imperial commanders to ponder what the hell just happened. The Wizard cast time warp on the spearman unit, but didn't get speed of light off, I also go the 5++ ward of on the spears, to prepare for the crunch. Not on the map but the eagle also ran down the archer detachment it was fighting bring it to just behind the halberdiers.
High Elf Turn 4Phoenix Guard, The reavers and both the Eagles all charged the spearmen unit, The third unit of reavers charged the large archer unit alongside their comrades. Magic saw a six dice mind razor on the Phoenix guard, I had to let it go as i used my dice to stop a boosted mystifying miasma being casted on the spears. Combat saw the large archer unit destroyed with one unit of reavers restraining and the other running the unit down. The Big combat was pretty equal due to both sides having always strike first so the elves lost their initiative re-rolls, the phoenix guard only felled eight and the supporting flankers added another two kills, in return my spears with additional attacks felled six guard, took the last wound off one of the eagles, and the first off another and my general wounded the arch mage. I slightly lost the combat but held due to steadfast. Praise be to Sigmar for that 5++ ward save.
Empire Turn 5Here comes the crunch! The Halberdiers flanked the Phoenix guard, but clipped the eagle both reaching them, it was killed out right and my opponent allowed me to overrun into the flank of the guard. Magic saw both Warrior priests get the 5++ ward save off but not the re-rolls to wound, the elves struck first this time but the damage was negligible against so many state troopers killing enough to cover their losses however, the spears chipped a few elves away and the halberdiers hitting on threes with hatred cleaned off an entire elf rank. Unfortunately the elves held. The Steam tank returned from it's jaunt to town but would play no further part in the battle.
High Elf turn 5Both Reavers tried a charge on the rear of the halberdiers only the small unit succeeded, magic was uneventful, the last reavers tried to shoot the Huricanium but did nothing. The combat saw the last of the elves fall before the combined attacks of both units, the halberdiers lost two men the rear charge but slew their attackers in return, my general landed his great weapon onto the elf archmage taking his final wounds, and more Phoenix guard fell before the pikes and halberds of the state troops, the survivors fled and were run down by the spearmen with the halberdiers reforming to face the last of the reavers. At this point the elf player conceded. Three elves remained to survey the carnage.
Averland Victorious!
ReviewMy large state troop blocks work well if they can combine the efforts against a single superior foe. The Steam tank really pulled it out of the bag this game and will now be forsaken by the dice gods unless a sufficient sacrifice is found. I wasn't too happy about the placement of my artillery pieces this game but under the circumstances I think it was likely that I lose my support units; they bought enough time for the big units to get the job done. Luckily the high elf chaff units weren't big enough to break steadfast meaning the state troops could stay in the fight against the Phoenix guard. Overall the game looked ropey at first but the removal of the big High Elf threats in the early game meant I could shift the balance before the game came down to the combat grind in the latter stages.
Thanks for reading!