Original Battle Report

Okay so I had my big battle versus Wood Elves yesterday and it was pretty good. Things were looking bad at several points and I was more impressed with the Eternal Guard than I had ever been before. I fielded less shooting than… well ever. And that shooting was awful beyond reason. First the army lists:

Empire:

Characters:

General: Warrior Priest of Sigmar – Armor Of Meteoric Iron and Great Weapon – 119pts.

Wizard Lord – Power Stones x3, Rod of Power – 265pts.

Warrior Priest – Barded Warhorse, Sword of Might, Doomfire Ring – 155pts.

Captain – Battle Standard Bearer, Barded Warhorse, Full Plate, Imperial Banner – 197pts.

Total: 736pts.

This is a lot more than I normally go with for points, but that’s because I use the General of The Empire, not a Wizard lord! And the Imperial Banner is pricey but I needed some psychological insurance when dealing with LD8 and lots of fear and terror checks.

Core:

22 Swordsmen – Full command. This is where the Captain resides – 163pts.

24 Spearmen – Full command. The general and the wizard are in here – 164 pts.

5 Knights – 115pts.

5 Knights – 115pts.

5 Knights – 115pts.

13 Flagellants – 130pts.

Specials:

Great Cannon – 100pts.

Great Cannon – 100pts.

6 Pistoliers – Outrider with repeater pistol, Musician – 132pts.

7 Knights of the Inner Circle – Full Command, Banner of the Daemonslayer – 272pts.

Rares:

1 Helblaster – 110pts.

Total: 2252pts

Quite different than my normal list. I usually don’t bother with IC knights and won’t again most likely (I just can’t afford the special slot against most armies) and the total lack of detachments is rather alien to my normal approach. I had to cut a pair of Pistoleers from the unit for points but I like 8 normally. Only 104 models… that concerns me. But the WE seem to require unorthodox play styles.

Wood Elves:

Characters:

Highborn – Hunter’s Talon, Rhymer’s Harp, Eternal Guard honors – 251pts.

Spellsinger – 2nd level – 125pts.

Spellsinger – 2nd level, Elven Steed – 138pts.

Core:

10 Dryads – 120pts.

10 Dryads – 120pts.

10 Glade Riders – 276pts. A Sorceress was in here.

10 Glade Guard – Standard and Musician – 138pts. A Sorceress was in here.

10 Glade Guard – Standard and Musician – 138pts.

20 Eternal Guard – Full command – 282pts. The general was in here.

Specials:

3 Warhawk Riders – Champion – 140pts.

4 Treekin – Champion – 280pts.

Rares:

1 Treeman – 285pts.

Total: 2283pts.

In the interest of full disclosure my opponent forgot to make his wizards 2nd level but I didn’t notice that until I was tabulating points. It didn’t amount to much so we just boosted their cost. They didn’t get too many spells off. The banners in the gladeguard units were odd, as was the champion in the Treekin unit. The massive units of gladeriders weres also unusual. That harp that the general has? It rocked and was a pain in my ass the whole game, and to think I never thought about using it (I normally take the Moonstone so don’t have the points open for it).

Setup:

The photos illustrate our set up. I passed on terrain at the first opportunity, giving me a wide open battlefield with only 2 hills, a large copse of trees to my left, and the one he dropped in his deployment zone. It did feel a little naked but if he had the moonstone I didn’t want to have anything to do with it.

My deployment:

I deployed with my two ranked units at center, the flagellants buttoning down my right flank with a pair of knight units ready to go for soft targets or to tie up dryads. My right flank had the IC knights with the Pistoliers behind them, and another unit of knights at the far left to skirt the side. I deployed my cannon and Helblaster to the left within range of both the Treeman and Treekin. I placed my BSB in the Swordsmen unit, a Warrior Priest in the IC knights, and the Wizard and the brave Brother Clancy (the general) in the spearmen unit.

The brave Battle Standar bearer Gunter Von Haur and his Swordsmen, the 3rd Helsboro.

The Helboro Lunitic’s Club rolling out on what looks like the James Darren 60′s era Vegas showtune soundtrack…

His deployment:

The woodelves deployed a glade guard unit on each hill, then the general in the trees at center. The gladeriders were deployed to my right near the right hill, while the dryads were placed one at each hill. The Treekin were at my left-center with the Warhawk behind them, and then the Treeman was dropped in the woods at the far left. His general was with the Eternal Guard. A sorceress was in the left glade guard unit and the other was with the glade riders.

Turn 1

Empire:

Movement:
I moved as illustrated in the picture, looking to confuse with my knights as is my normal tactic. The infantry blocks moved up a little.

Magic:
My Wizard casts Fire Ball on the Glade Riders and doesn’t wound any, He then casts conflagration of doom on the War Hawk riders for 4 hits, wounds with three and kills the unit. Good start. I cast fiery blast on the glade riders… killing none.

Shooting:
Both cannon fire at the Treekin, get perfect rolls to place them about an inch off, then both fail to bounce! That wasn’t good.

Wood Elves:

Movement: He moved as shown, charging with his Gladeguard (?) which I fled.

Magic: I halted his magic phase. No spells cast.

Shooting: Not much here, he shot at knights with no effect. The Treeman did get strangle root off with 10 hits, but only killed one knight. The Archers on the other side along with the Glade Riders pelted the flagellants for 4 casualties.

Turn 2

Empire:Terror Checks:
Well this was bad; the knights rolled a 10, ran from the Treeman through the Pistoliers who thought that was a great idea and panicked right after them. This could get really ugly.

Movement:
I charged the glade riders with my knights, and they fled. The IC Knights charged the dryads while leaving the space open to shoot the Treekin.

Magic:
I waste more magic doing nothing except land 2 wounds on the Treekin but manage wall of fire on the Eternal Guard, kills 2 but then learning that the Harp is in play. A stubborn unit with LD9, 5+ ward save and WS5. This isn’t good. Soulfire causes one wound to the dryad… is that a flaming attack and if so would it have killed 2? Unbreakable is used by the General.

Shooting:
One cannon manages to again shoot and land perfect and not roll!?!?! What bad luck! It gets worse. The other cannon misfires and rolls a three meaning it won’t be shooting the Treeman next round. The Helblaster manages to get a 10 on the first barrel before misfiring and also getting a 3 so it won’t be shooting either. The Helblaster did manage to get the last wound on the Treekin killing it.

These guys need to go back to gunnery school….

Close Combat:

Brave Brother Wilhem leads the Inner Circle knights into battle.

The IC Knights and their Priests manage a spectacular display of Rubber Lance Syndrome by hitting with only 1 out of 8 attacks, luckily the rerolls for hatred allowed them to land 5 hits and cause 3 wounds. The hateful horses land another and the brave priest adds one more. 5 Dryads die, the rest run and I carry through into the Treekin… with a Treeman only a turn away from a flank charge.

Wood Elves:

Movement:
He rallied his glade riders and moved them out of the way of another charge. He charged the flagellants with his Dryads.

Magic:
He gets the tree song off and moves the woods for no apparent reason, fails to dispel Wall of Fire but does get the regeneration spell off for his dryads… as if they need any help.

Shooting:
Peppering of arrows kills a pair of spearmen, not much else happens.

Combat:
I could see the writing on the wall for the flagellants so I didn’t martyr, hoping they could keep the dryads busy. The dryads proceeded to butcher 5, and the crazy men of the empire fail to cause a wound thanks to a ward save (and a regeneration save after that had it been needed). The IC knights discovered just how hard Treekin are, causing only 2 wounds, while the Treekin killed a knight… I guess they learned how hard a 1+AS is to get through even with S5. The Treekin made their leadership check.

Turn 3:

Empire:

Movement:
I managed to rally both the Pistoleers and the knights. I then move up as illustrated in the picture.

Magic:
I let the Wall of Fire drop so I can try and annihilate the glade riders. After a Fireball and a fiery blast followed by the burning head they lost 4 models…. Yes 4 models. My magic is not doing what I need it to do. I then burn off a pair of powerstones to get wall of fire back on the Eternal Guard.

Shooting:
My only artillery piece that can shoot fires at the Treeman, lands directly on him, and then he ward saved. My god my luck today is awful!!!

Combat:
No wounds in the IC/Treekin fight, the dryads slash the flagellants down to one sad little man…

Wood Elves:

Movement:
He charged my War Priest with his Treeman… they made their terror test. He arrayed gladeguard to face my two main blocks and moved the rest of his men as illustrated.

Magic:
Nothing happened here.

Shooting:
He killed a knight on the right flank and a couple spearmen. Nothing else really.

Combat:
The Treeman politely explained that he thought Sigmar was a pile of &%$# as he rended the Warrior Priest for 4 wounds… the knights then lost 2 more of their number to the Treekin and ran like hell… The dryads finished the flagellants off and then ate their fill.

Turn 4:

Empire:
Movement:
I charged both the dryads and the right flank archer unit with my two knight units. The IC remnants rally, while the rest of my movements are illustrated in the picture. Note that I moved my BSB’s unit to have a clear run on the Eternal Guards flank if he chose to charge on his turn.

Magic:
Looking over at the glade riders and their 7 strong front I realized that Wall of Fire would put a hit on each. I cast it, got it off and killed 5. I then did a fiery blast to no effect and got the fiery blast with 9 hits which killed the last two members and the sorceress! I was now staring down the Eternal Guard unit which could freely charge since Wall of Fire was used on the Glade Riders. Not a good scene.

Shooting:
Now this is a little more like it. One cannon hit the Treeman for 4 wounds, and rolled into the Treekin for 5, killing all but the champion (who was not in the line of fire since I was brushing both the Treeman and one Treekin with the shot). The other cannon promptly misfired. The Helblaster dropped one more wound on the Treeman leaving him with only one remaining. The Pistoleers tried valiantly to get that last wound but it was futile against an AS of 5+ and a ward save coupled with T6.

Combat:
Both combats ended in draws with both sides making their saves.

Wood Elves:Movement:
He charged the Eternal Guard into the Spearmen… this is going to get ugly. Other movements are illustrated.

Magic:
Nothing.

Shooting:
He killed a Pistolier. That’s all.

Combat:
I challenged with brave Brother Clancy, and the Eternal Guard champion accepted. The challenge ended in no wounds (damn 5+ ward) and the unit whaled 5 spearmen to death. I managed to pass my break test after killing 3 Eternals thanks to spears and hatred. The dryads however manage to win against the knights who fall their break test because they were outnumbered by a fear causing unit.

Turn 5:

Empire:
Movement:
I manage to move my knights up toward the last group of archers while other movements are illustrated in the pic. I rally the knights that fled the dryads.

Magic:
I cast conflagration of doom on the Treeman and he dies! Thank god that thing wasn’t going to hit me. I then cast wall of fire on the Eternal guard to little effect. I recast unbreakable on the spearmen.

Shooting:
Guess what, the cannon that could shoot misfires. Surprise! The other cannon had been aiming at the Treeman who was now dead. The helblaster did 2 wounds to the Treekin champion.

Combat:
Clancy hammers the champion into the dirt, while the unit takes massive casualties (5) and the two units together kill one (1) Eternal guard. This is awful. WS5, AS5+, ward save 5+ is so hard to get through with Empire troops! Where’s my Black Orcs… I manage to win thanks to static CR and he passes his test. The knights on the left kill their archer unit.

Wood Elves:Movement:
He charges the knights that rallied which I flee and then charges the flank of my generals unit (the spearmen) with the Treekin champion. Like he needed any help…

Magic:
He tree sings because he can… I don’t really care and let him because he forgot to get rid of the unbreakable spell on the spearmen…

Shooting:
He kills a knight on the left flank.

Combat:
Another ugly round as 5 more spearmen are peeled off. Luckily I managed to challenge again and he is forced to accept with his general. The two generals pound each other for no wounds (1+AS vs. 5+ ward). He makes his break test.

Turn 6:

Movement:
No movement. I fail to rally the knights and they run off the board.

Magic:
Apparently not much since I didn’t write anything down!

Shooting:
The cannons try to reap the dryads but only cause a single wound due to bad bounces.

Combat:
Brother Clancy takes a wound and lands none while the combat turns out a perfect tie.

Wood Elves:Movement:
None.

Magic:
None.

Combat:
Brother Clancy, enraged at the carnage caused to his troops brings two stinging hammer blows down on the Elven General causing a pair of wounds! He took none back and his unit stuck! The knights on the hill however… ran. I guess giving Archer units banners does work sometimes. That and the higher ground and outnumber made my life difficult. Lost those boys. Game over!

Conclusion: Solid Victory For The Empire!

In the end it turned out he got one table quarter and killed 926 points worth of my men.
I managed to kill 1651 for a total of 725 points in my favor for a solid victory.

The shooting was horrible, the combats largely ineffective and the magic barely did its job. I am not really sure how I ended up winning by so much and there were many opportunities for me to have lost the game. A lot of fun though and it gave me so ideas for next time. Hopefully this is beneficial to everyone else.

And so in the aftermath, around a bonfire built from the bodies of the dead forest spirits against a backdrop of the woods burning to the ground (out of spite towards the Elven bastards) Brother Clancy told his men stories of Sigmar before bedtime. And they all lived happily ever after.