MSU-Battle-Reports (English)

Battle Wizard, level 4 - 200 - Lore of Light
Warrior priest, barded warhorse, heavy armour and shield - 85
BSB, barded warhorse, plate armour and shield - 109
Captain on pegasus, Dragonhelm, Potion of foolhardiness, lance, shield, plate armour - 145
Captain on pegasus , Swift as the wind, Dragonbane gem, Charmed shield, plate armour, lance - 138
Witchhunter- brace of pistols, ruby ring of ruin - 80

20 Halberdiers, banner - 130
10 Crossbowmen - 90
10 Crossbowmen - 90
10 Archers - 70
5 Knights, musician - 120
5 Knights, musician - 120

5 Pistoliers, musician - 100
5 Pistoliers, musician - 100
3 Demigryph knights, musician - 184
8 Reiksguard, FC - 246
Cannon - 120
Cannon - 120

Steam tank - 250

Imperial version of a MSU army. A lot of fast elements, very well protected too, in the case of Captains and Knights. A single bigger unit of Reiksguard was there to protect the BSB and Warrior Priest but at the same time made for a good and versatile regiment that could either charge or receive charge and hold the line. Add the steam tank to the equation and you have a tough nut to crack indeed.

There is a considerable amount of shooting that could prove deadly against small units if focused. 3 cannons would have a field day against eagle claw and chariots (or eagles for that matter too) if there is no place to hide them.

I was also very curious about Light wizard as it seems to be less popular choice unless you field an Archlector too and can have 2 banishments. A witch hunter was another curious choice and we were both eager to see if he can make a difference in that game.

Larry the Loremaster - level 2, Shield of the Merwyrm, Golden Crown, Earthing Rod, Sword of Might - 300
Bob the Battle Standard Bearer - Dragon Armour, Halberd, Charmed Shield, Potion of Strength, Reaver Bow - 157

10 Archers - Champion, Musician - 120
10 Archers - Champion, Musician - 120
5 Ellyrian Reavers - Spears, Bows, Musician - 105
5 Ellyrian Reavers - Spears, Bows, Musician - 105
6 Silver Helms - Standard, Musician - 158

5 Dragon Princes - Musician, Banner of Eternal Flame - 175
Tiranoc Chariot - 70
Tiranoc Chariot - 70
12 Swordmasters - Bladelord, Musician - 176
12 Swordmasters - Bladelord, Musician - 176
10 White Lions - Full Command, Gleaming Pennant - 165
10 White Lions - Full Command - 160
5 Shadow Warriors - 70
5 Shadow Warriors - 70

Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower - 70
Great Eagle - 50
Great Eagle - 50
5 Sisters of Avelorn - 70
5 Sisters of Avelorn - 70

I was happy to have more Shadow Warriors as I like them a lot. I also decided to test chariots and because I made a room for them by removing the unit of Dragon Princes I also changed the core troops selection. I added Silver Helms and divided Archers into 2 small regiments. No ranked units then but more of them. Chariots may prove a liability than a help against cannons but the good thing is that if I could make them work under such circumstances then I should be able to make them work in more friendly environment.

I had some tools against armour but my previous experiences showed it will be a hard battle no matter what. One of the main things was to stop or slow down the tank and try to spirit leach it or cast searing doom. Otherwise it can cause way too much trouble! The regular knights are not that dangerous in subsequent rounds of combat. But they need to be contained somehow in the first place. Demigryphs are different story. Good for me there are only 3 of them.

It is very hard to have a detailed plan against another MSU army. A lot depends on the terrain and relative deployment. It will also be a game of manoeuver and counter manoeuver so there might be a few turns without combat when regiments look for the most favourable positions and at the same time try to deny it to the enemy.

EB rolled for spells selection and his level 4 got:

Battle Wizard - Burning Gaze, Pha's Protection, The Speed of Light, Net of Amyntok,

Deployment after vanguard moves (Edit: Handgunners on the left flank are in fact Crossbowmen, apologies for the confusion!)

It seemed we both deployed in a way of refused flank formations, with light troops as delaying forces on the weak flank of our respective formations. We both had good combat elements but we also wanted to use magic and shooting to prevent the opponent from gaining upper hand in the movement phase.

Witch hunter accused Bob, elven BSB of some unholy practice and contacts with evil powers.

Surprisingly I won the roll-off and I got the first turn!

Opening manoeuvers by elven army

Elves seized the initiative and moved forward. Larry jumped into the house and run to the balcony. In his enthusiasm he cast a medium sized fireball and incinerated some pistoliers. Their companions fled in fear they might meet the similar fate soon. Larry could not keep the magical feedback in control but his magical Crown healed him.

All units that managed to get into range opened fire and one more pistolier fell from the horse while half of the regiment of the corssbowmen was eliminated by the well placed arrows.

Imperial troops separate to both flanks

Imperial troops were ordered to move too. Only crossbowmen on the left flank, under the influence of some poisonous fungus stupidly moved further into the forest instead of shooting at the incoming enemy.

The wizard attempted some magic missiles spell at Sisters but it was deflected by gentlemen Larry. However, whatever gratitude he expected to obtain for his chivalrous behaviour could not save him and his companions to be ensnarled by the magical net that appeared seconds after.

Then Imperial artillery opened fire. Or at least that was the plan. First, the engineer in the tank had to use all his knowledge to fix the boiler as the pressure reached dangerous level and some cracks appeared on the construction. That affected his aim and although the cannonball went straight at the chariot it did absolutely no damage. To make things worse both cannons misfired and it looked like the crews would have to spend considerable amount of time trying to fix the problems.

High Elves press forward!

High Elves keep moving towards their enemies. White Lions in the centre of the battlefield charge the archers and witch hunter hiding among them. 6 men are cut down but the few survivors managed to barricade on the upper level and lions had to pause in their assault.

Magic net proved to be very annoying and while the unit moved out of the house they could not shake it off for spells purpose and suffered some casualties.

Imperial Air Force in attack!

Pegasus Captains spurred their mounts and both made it to their distant targets. Brave archer champion took one for the team and his companions held the line. Shadow Warriors feigned the retreat and the captain redirected into the new enemy. Sisters were not able to hold and fled.

On the left flank the steamtank rolled over the eagle while on the right flank Shadow Warriors failed to hold the knights in the forest (Edit: My mistake here, I thought I need just one model in the forest of a skirmishing unit to be stubborn while I had to have more than half).

Elves counter attack

The best defence is offence! Elves attacked too. Silver helms charged the exposed crossbowmen and destroy that unit. Nearby Pistoliers lose one of their number and his companions flee in the same fashion as the survivors from the first squadron.

Eagle claw crew decided it is their last chance and loaded single bolt. Unfortunately they missed. Even magical shots from Bob's reaver bow could not hit the target.

Dragon Princes charged the second captain but his armour was tough to pierce and he also held the line! The rest of the units avoided enemy on the right and one unit of reavers used the opportunity to move around and were racing now towards enemy artillery.

Empire strikes back!

A lot of Imperial units were ordered to attack and attack they did! Steatank rolled over another eagle. Reiksguard charged lions and drew nearby Dragon Princes into combat. Elves lost and Dragon Princes fled only to be run down by avenging captain. 2 remaining archers fled too and only lions kept fighting. In fact, they even wounded imperial BSB!

Demigryphs attempted to catch another unit of archers who withdrew. The Imperial elite redirected their charge and in a long distance attack charged the chariot and destroyed it. Pegasus captain did the same to the eagle claw.

Only shadow warriors were successful as they kept calm and stopped the knightly charge by unhorsing one of them. His companions reconsidered the attack and decided to move to the protection of the forest.

Imperial artillery joins in the attack but one of the cannons explodes instead. Second crew aims at the enemy Lions and force them to withdraw. The wizards casts magic missile at the nearby reavers but elven cavalrymen do not panic and keep racing towards the cannon crew.

The fight continues

Elves had the means to exchange the blows and they didn't hesitate to do so. Reavers attacked the cannon crew and easily defeated unprotected humans. Swordmasters charged the exposed flank of the imperial knights. 5 of them died but the casualties among lions were also heavy. Only single Chracian remained standing at this moment.

Shooting and magic were focused on one of the Pegasus captains and this time he fell.

Yet another knightly charge

Small units of Imperial knights charge Swordmasters. The pressure of armour was hard but Swordmasters were steadfast (Edit: in the fight I got 10 hits with Swordmasters only to proceed to roll seven 1's to wound :lol: )

The steamtank rolled over Silver Helms but this time the lone survivor held! Demigryphs attempted to charge the Sisters but they withdrew.

And yet again Larry, Bob and their companions found themselves to be entrapped in magical net.

Charge of the Light Brigade!

Both units of ellyrian reavers charge enemy knights. The unit that helps Swordmasters gets into contact briefly but fails to wound enemy BSB and retreats. Another regiment charges the exposed flank of the Imperial knights and forces them to flee! What is more, they are destroyed in pursuit!

The combat between Swordmasters and Imperial Knights remains unresolved.

Last combats

The Imperial forces kept attacking but it was clear that for a while the momentum of the attack was lost. Demigryphs chased away shadow warriors. Swordmasters finally destroyed remaining reiksguard but the BSB, warrior priest and survivors from the second unit of knights refused to give ground.

It was clear that neither army could gain the advantage before the quickly coming night and generals ordered their forces to disengage and withdraw.

A draw! I think it was a good result of a game where we kept punching each other in our respective turns. Although I must admit that if not for the bad luck for Imperial artillery I would have faced much more difficult situation.

Another important thing to remember is that under Swedish Comp FAQ a steamtank can pivot freely even if the enemy is 1" away from it so I cannot block its movement at all. Personally I think it is too much. I understand it is to avoid rail roading when the unit sits next to the tank and it cannot charge it but at the same time there is absolutely no option to redirect the tank at all. Like if it needed any help.

In general the plan worked more or less I think. I managed to delay the forces on the right flank and could have done a better job if I knew that I need Shadow Warriors to be in the forest with majority of the regiment.

I am not happy with the way I used (or in fact didn't) the chariots. They technically were there to look dangerous but had no impact on the game. Much for me to learn in terms of chariot warfare.

I have definitely made a mistake with Net of Amyntok. I wanted to break lose instead of dispelling that spell. Instead, I had to test every time I wanted to do something.

Having said that I think EB could have pressed harder from his strong flank and if he attacked together with Demigryphs I would have been in big trouble. While right captain did great job the left one didn't have to charge the archers as he simply overexposed himself. Sure, in the end it went good for imperial troops there but at the same time he lost Reiksguard due to the combat were different units kept charging into the fray.

Unfortunately we run out of time to play the last turn.

I hope you enjoyed the report and thanks for reading!

cheers!

Larry the Loremaster, level 2, Shield of the Merwyrm, Golden Crown, Earthing Rod, Sword of Might – 300
Bob the BSB, Dragon Armour, Halberd, Charmed Shield, Potion of Strength, Reaver Bow – 157

10 Archers, Champion, Musician – 120
10 Archers, Champion, Musician – 120
5 Ellyrian Reavers, Musician, Spear, Bow – 105
5 Ellyrian Reavers, Musician, Spear, Bow – 105
6 Silver Helms, Shield, Musician, Standard -158

Tiranoc Chariot – 70
Tiranoc Chariot – 70
5 Dragon Princes, Musician, Standard, Banner of Eternal Flame – 175
11 Swordmasters, Bladelord, Musician - 163
11 Swordmasters, Bladelord, Musician – 163
10 White Lions, Musician, Standard – 150
10 White Lions, Musician, Standard, Gleaming Pennant - 155
5 Shadow Warriors – 70

Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower – 70
Great Eagle – 50
Great Eagle – 50
5 Sisters of Avelorn – 70
5 Sisters of Avelorn – 70

Total: 2391

Swedish Comp: 15.2

Hellebron
Supreme Sorceress, level 4 - Lore of Dark Magic
BSB

14 Darkshards, FC
14 Darkshards, FC
21 Corsairs, Additional Weapons, FC
6 Dark Riders

30 Black Guard, FC, Razor Standard (?)
5 Doomfire Warlocks
5 Doomfire Warlocks
Reaper Boltthrower
Reaper Bolthrower

The usual suspects with some new flavour. Darkshards as core does not surprise and if these guys close in I can be outshot. Also, with 2 repeaters against one that advantage is even bigger. Single unit of Dark Riders can easily handle two of the Reavers. Their shooting is superior and they also have more armour.

Another danger comes in the form of magic. While the exact amount of punishment to be suffered from Dark Magic was yet to be seen then Warlocks have already gained some reputation. I definitely was not keen to meet multiple Doombolts on top of any shooting the army already had in its arsenal.

2 units of combat infantry were also very dangerous. Black Guard could destroy any of my small units in no time. ASF or no ASF, hatred is simply great. And now they have also re-rolls of 1's to wound! With sorceress among them and possibility to boos their strength to S5 they were really a very dangerous unit.

Corsairs, with additional hand weapons and good armour could fight against any infantry. They have an advantage over my elite troops in the form of ASF now. If they were joined by Hellebron, that is even worse.

In such situations I try to apply Druchii's own approach. Don't fight fair. Focus shooting on the units that are vulnerable or simply small in numbers. Even having a good save/ward save they have to fall if enough arrows are sent in their direction. If the enemy is good in combat avoid it or create a situation when the regiment is weakened, isolated and attacked by 2 or 3 of mine own. Preferably from the direction that does not allow many attacks back.

Fortunately for me I had the tools for the job and more units as usual should be helpful in setting up the traps as well as forcing the enemy to disperse their formation. That is of course easier said than done!

Civil War in the Land of Chill!

Deployment of the armies after vanguard

Druchii occupied the centre of the battlefield with light cavalry moving to outflank the hated Asur. The Outcasts formed a mixed formation, with archers in the middle for better shooting opportunities and various combat troops occupying defended positions. On the left Lions used their natural environment of the woods to close in with enemy and get some protection from shooting. Heavy cavalry supported right flank with many units staying behind the hill to avoid being the target too early. Only shadow warriors marched right towards their cursed kin.

Supreme Sorceress and BSB joined the ranks of the Black Guard while Hallebron led the Corsairs.

Bob and Larry both were among Swordmasers, with Bob leading the leftmost regiment.

Supreme Sorceress had following spells: Power of Darkness, Word of Pain, Shroud of Despair, Black Horror

Dave made an attempt to steal the initiative but he didn't roll required 5 and I had the first turn!

Double pincer manoeuver

High Elves advance on both flanks

High Elves advance on both flanks and focus their fire on Druchii fast cavalry. One group of accursed warlocks does not fancy meeting a chariot and withdraw. Second is peppered with arrows and die horribly, despite their dark aura of protection. Their souls truly belong to Slaanesh now.

On the Western flank Dark Riders are the target of High Elven magic and shooting and a single survivor of the barrage flees to safety.

Corsairs assault the building

Druchii attempt to fight back

Mad Hellebron orders her unit to storm the building where she glimpsed Shadow Warriors. They stubbornly refuse to withdraw and pay dearly for their bravery.

Other Druchii units move forward slowly, with Darkshards and Bolt Throwers trying to pick some targets. Warlocks decided it is not good time for them to join the battle and disappear from the field.

Relentless advance on both flanks

And continuous missile barrage

Regiments on both flanks use the fact that main combat units of the enemy are in the centre and advance quickly. Shooting and magic almost entirely destroy Western regiment of Darkshards but their hatred towards their kin makes them stay and fight. Black Guard to is the target of quite accurate fire from the Sisters of Avelorn.

url=http://s8.photobucket.com/user/Swordmaster_pl/media/2014_01_14%20-%20HoD2%20-%20B1%20-%202400%20vs%20DE/04DET2_zps0f9bd859.jpg.html]

[/url]
Dark Elves split up

Black Horror!!!!

Druchii split up their formation. Bloodthirsty Hellebron urges her warriors to move towards the main Asur battle line. While Black Guard turn to face the Eastern task force of the hated High Elves. Supreme Sorceress shows why her sisterhood is dreaded by all. A powerful Black Horror claims all noble Silver Helms!

The shooters once again pick different targets and while they manage to claim a few High Elven lives, their overall effect is not that powerful.

High Elves tighten their grip from both flanks

And keep shooting in the centre!

Ellyrian Reavers attack the flank of the Darkshards but they are not able to break their enemy. White Lions on the West and cavalry on the East close in.

At the same time all the available shooters aim at incoming corsairs and more than half of the unit lies dead after that salvo.

Druchii try to fight back again

But archers are not eager to fight against Hellebron

Hellebron screams in frustration as she is unable to reach her hated kin. Supreme Sorceress fares no better when the horror she unleashed claimed many of her own bodyguards. Darkshards aim at White Lions and only single Chracian stands tall after they finish shooting.

Outcasts attack again

Charge of the light chariots!

Fast troops of the High Elves charge again. Great Eagle swoops down and destroys the crew of one of the bolt throwers. Reavers on both flanks, however, are locked in combat.

Magic and shooting is directed at weakened Black Guard and more elite Druchii warriors fall down. Then both light chariots pick up the momentum and slam hard into the ranks of the Corsairs. Only one of the vile crewman of the Black Arc survives that. However, Hallbron, intoxicated by bloodlust and witch elven potions, hacks mercilessly left and right and leaves nothing but a ruin of both chariots.

Lions vs Darkshards - Mexican stand off?

Another failed charge by Hellebron!

Hellebron tasted blood but now wants even more. Bob is wise enough not to cross a women with a temper like that and withdraws.

In other areas of the battle field small combats end up in stalemate.

High Elves do not attempt to charge

Final round of shooting almost destroys the Black Guard

High Elves, knowing they won already, didn't attempt to attack their enemy. Shooters aim carefully and first hill the Hellebron and her last warrior while the rest aims at Black Guard and almost destroy it. Unfortunately, a single warrior remained alive.

Unit of Dark Shards is finally destroyed and similar fate met the last crewmen of the bolt thrower.

I was very happy with the result of course! Winning against Druchii is never an easy thing, no matter how it looks like. The things worked well for me in general. I guess Dave's inexperience with DE (it was his first game I was told) also contributed to the loss, I am afraid.

For example, he knew it was unlikely to get first turn so maybe it would have been better to use vanguard to actually protect his fast cavalry. They would have been very helpful during the game. Dark Riders are very good at shooting while Warlocks can contribute to magic phase nicely and make my decision making as what to stop very, very difficult. As it turned out they didn't even have a chance to cast any spells (or engage in combat they are good in too) and saved me a lot of trouble. I still wonder if it was not worthy risking to hold the ground against the chariot. With their 4++ save they can reduce the damage significantly and with 2 S4 attacks each + hatred they had a chance to even things out too.

Spreading forces was partially determined by the scenario but the regiments in the centre could have stayed closer together. I didn't exploit frenzy of the corsairs this game but -3 to Ld tests for that can be a disadvantage. In that regard I totally screwed up the opportunity with Shadow Warriors. Instead of going into the building I should have kept them in the open and simply flee. I slowed the corsairs down by chance since they occupied the building and they had to move out losing a little bit of the momentum but I simply sacrificed SW for nothing.

Another thing I could have done differently is moving reavers along with both heavy cavalry so that three of them could have charged bolt thrower, even with the loss of one due to magic/shooting. I stalled my advance and that was not good.

On the left flank I should have moved Swordmasters in support to attack Darkshards together with Lions. Alone, lions were in bad position as they would strike second with DE having re-rolls too. But against 2 units they had to divide the attacks. Not to mention I could have eagle and/or reavers to support to. instead, I ended up standing there and doing nothing. I lost momentum.

There was also one thing I am not sure I didn't try. I could charge with Dragon princes against Black Guard and attempt an assassination of the Sorceress. With 3 S5 attacks hitting at 3+ I had a good chance to do so. Even if I lost I was winning already so it was worth trying too.

Of course if we played one more turn I would get that last Black Guard and maybe character or two as well. I guess I have to play faster but also in a more decisive way. It might not always be possible but I have noticed that I sometimes prepare the attacks too long.

Thanks for reading!

Daemon Prince of Nurgle, Chaos Armour, Daemonic Flight, 2 x Lesser Gift
Herald of Tzeentch - Lore of Metal
Herald of Nurgle - Lore of Death

10 Horrors, Musician, Standard
16 Horrors, FC
17 Plague Bearers, Musician, Standard of Discipline
5 Furies of Nurgle
5 Flesh Hounds, Ambush

4 Screamers
Burning Chariot
Exalted Seeker Chariot
Exalted Seeker Chariot
5 Seekers, Musician, standard

Definitely unusual DoC army. It is a mixture of fast units in the form of Slaaneshi troops and more defensive tzeentch regiments backed up by some plague bearers. Fast units would want to get into combat quickly. In particular chariots as they are the most deadly in the charge (2d6 impact hits, even at S4 are going to hurt!). But also a Daemon Prince is probably safer when engaged in hand to hand as nothing can shoot at him.

On the other hand, horrors, plague bearers and to an extend burning chariot, would rather stay behind and engulf my units in some warpflames. I presumed then that Adam will want to move on one flank with his fast and combat orientated units while the centre would be controlled by the infantry, ready to lend support, in particular in the form of some plague bearers.

The fact that not entire army was so fast gave me some hope. There is a danger the forces can be separated. While chariots and Daemon Prince are tough opponents then horrors can be relatively easily destroyed in close combat. Even more important due to the fact they are wizards and generate power/dispel dice by channelling. 4 attempts per turn plus all the nasty spells from Metal and Death can create quite a potent magic phase.

I must admit I was concerned with the chariots. They are extremely fast, have 8 wounds and have tons of attacks! If I don't charge them first and with something that can withstand some grinding then I was looking at very dangerous units. I noticed, however, that they have a very wide frontage. That meant they would be more easy to divert. My plan was then to delay them as much as possible and hopefully inflict a few wounds before charging them.

Deployment of armies after vanguard

Refused flank formation adopted by High Elves

Before we started Adam rolled for gifts for his Deamon Prince who got: Sword of Swift Slaying, Skill Swallower

His wizards had the following spells:

10 Horrors - Blue Fire of Tzeentch
15 Horrors - Blue Fire of Tzeentch
Herald of Tzeentch - Searing Doom, Glittering Robe
Herlad of Nurgle - Lore of Death

Adam won the roll off for the first turn and Daemons moved to claim some elven souls!

Daemons separate their forces

Deamon Prince orders his minions to move forward but leaves half of the army to remain stationary and blast the elves from afar. He commands the assault forces himself while the defensive groups are left under the leadership of heralds.

One of the shadow warriors is consumed by the magical fire but his companions found their skin mutate and gain some regenerative effects. On the other hand, Sisters of Avelorn were less lucky and only a single survivor remained from one of their groups.

Winds of magic raged and magical protection daemons wore as a cloak was even tougher now.

Elves move forward!

Early attack on the Eastern Flank

Elven army moved forward towards static and seemingly less dangerous group of daemons on the Western flank. Seekers were hiding in the woods but that didn't save them from mass elven archery and fouls Slaaneshi daemons were banished from that dimension.

On the East, charioteers didn't hesitate and charged in. But despite the powerful impact of the attack and stabs of spears, Daemon Prince was unscathed, his magical protective aura deflecting all the blows. One of the chariots could not keep their terrified horses in control and had to pull out.

Daemons attempt to attack

But High Elves withdraw

Daemons counter attack on the East. Furies chase away one of the chariots and then redirect to help Daemon Prince to finish off the remaining one.

One of the seeker chariots attempts to charge Dragon Princes who withdraw. But nearby lions misunderstood the situation and withdrew as well, thinking there is a change of plans and a redraw of the army formation.

On the West, now exposed Reavers are the target for the Burning Chariot but the survivors hold their ground.

High Elves redress their ranks

And use magic and shooting to fight their enemies from afar!

Elven units need to redress their ranks and do it swiftly, reforming into new, double line formation. The shooters focus on the burning chariot and manage to get it down. Some burning arrows (or magic missiles?) are directed at plague bearers too.

On the East fast troops move to position to slow down the enemy advance there and to keep the foe's army separated.
!

Another attempt of an attack by daemons

And another avoidance manoeuver by High Elves

Furies chase away an eagle that opens a path towards the Swordmasters protecting the general. Seeing a threat in the form of a Seeker Chariot, warriors of Hoeth withdraw and take their Loremaster to the safety. The advance of the Elven army is effectively stalled but daemons attack is slowed down too.

Delaying manoeuvers on the East

Is that an Elven Castle?

Ellyrian Reavers on the East form a thin line to block the daemonic chariots from getting any closer. At the same time the main army formation crated a rectangle and attacked daemons with shooting and magic again. Half of the horrors on the Western flank perished while the Screamers, on the South, also suffered heavy casualties, with only a single floating daemon remaining.

Surprisingly Daemons do not engage on the East

Flesh Hounds finally arrive!

Surprisingly only Furies are sent to fight the elves and even they fail to defeat their opponents. One chariot and Daemon Prince consolidate to form a single battle line with the rest of the army. Second chariot moves to keep the lions in check.

Finally, ambushing Hounds appear at the rear of the elven formation. The faith of the eagle claw seems to be sealed.

Elves reform to meet new threat

And keep destroying daemons from the distance

Silver Helms attempt to charge the horrors but cannot get through the forest in time. Instead, the daemons are shot down and only a single one remains now. Also seeker chariot is a target and suffers a few wounds. Despite that, a great eagle lands in front of it to prevent any charges against elven regiments.

Last attempt to attack by Daemonic Legion

Elves are forced to withdraw again

Daemons push for the last time to attack the Elves. Flesh Hounds easily destroy the eagle claw and get ready to receive the charge of avenging Lions.

There is some magical disturbance, a powerful feedback that destroys a handful of plaguebearers. But if it was caused by the miscast on herald of nurgle behalf or if it was a plan of Tzeentch himself, no one can tell.

Seeker chariot on the East also attempts to charge Lions and then Reavers but both units withdraw.

Elves finish the battle with a blast!

Edit: At this point we had to quickly finish the game so it is quite possible I got a few things off. Apologies in advance for any inconsistencies

Seizing the opportunity Elves deal a powerful blow to their daemonic enemy. Lions charge furiously and win over Flesh Hounds but the dogs of Khorne are not yet entirely defeated.

Last of the horrors is destroyed and only a single plague bearer remains on the field. Even one of the chariots is totally destroyed. And then, Larry the Loremaster stepped in. He summoned the powers of the winds of magic in one unstoppable spell. Light magic proved to be the bane of any daemons and their general was not an exception. In a huge blast of magical energies, the Daemon Prince was banished to the warp.

With that last heroic act, the daemons, now leaderless and feeling their connection to the real world weakening, withdrew from the battlefield.

High Elves were victorious!

It was a tough game and I was very happy to pull out the win. Adam as always is a great pleasure to play against and I hope he also had fun. We discussed briefly after the game and we agreed he should have been more aggressive, in particular with his chariots. I am not sure why he restrained himself so much. He should have attacked all the blocking units to make sure they were destroyed. At the same time I think his infantry should advance too simply to provide extra pressure and force me to fight on 2 fronts.

While I was very happy with the outcome and in particular with that boosted Burning Gaze last turn (2d6 S6 hits for the win!) there were a few things I didn't do well.

People often say fleeing is a great thing and MSU armies absolutely must do it. I disagree and that game is a good example. I didn't advance in a good order and kept exposing my units to the chariots (damn their M10!). Yes, I fled and yes that slowed down their advance. But it also ruined any plans I had for engaging Adam's unprotected infantry units. Even in one-on-one combats they were at a disadvantage. And I was not there to do so!

The reason I fled with an eagle was that I wanted to force the movement of one chariot to block the other. But I didn't position my Swordmasters well and they were still visible so that after that flee move chariot could still redirect.

I am not sure if I should have held with Dragon Princes or not. I was not in a good position to support them if they held (lions were the only unit available). If I didn't the chariot would have rolled my army. Again, bad positioning and as a consequence - ruined plan to advance.

Fortunately I had some tools to do the damage from afar and that helped enormously. A pity we didn't have time for turn 6. AS in the first game there were some significant points to be taken. While one way to secure that is to try and speed up my moves I also wonder if I should not start with more aggressive approach instead.

Final score: 13.35 - 6.65

Thanks for reading

Lord, Knight's Vow, Sword of Strife, Enchanted Shield, Potion of Foolhardiness, Talisman of Luck, Virtue of Heroism
Prophetess, level 4, warhorse, Book of Asur, Mane of the Purebreed - Lore of the Beast

BSB, warhorse, Banner of Defence, Knight's Virtue, Virtue of Knightly Temper
Paladin, warhorse, shield, lance, Knight's Virtue, Gromril Great Helm
Paladin, warhorse, shield, lance, Knight's Virtue, Potion of Strength, Tress of Isolde
Paladin, warhorse, great weapon, Questing Vow, Dragon Helm, Dawnstone
Damsel, warhorse, level 1, Dispel Scroll - Lore of the Beast

12 Knights Errant, FC, Banner of Swiftness
6 Knights Errant, Standard, Musician
6 Knights of the Realm, Standard, Musician, Gleaming Pennant
9 Knights of the Realm, Standard, Musician, Warbanner

18 Bowmen, Braziers, Defensive Stakes
3 Pegasus Knights, Musician

1 Field Trebuchet

Magnificent Seven and the army of ... well not peasants for sure Now that is really, really tough. When I saw the list I was wondering where these characters are going to go as they have the potential of making each unit way more dangerous. And they can spread out evenly among them too.

The one thing I learned about Bretonnians is that they love their lance formation and that means they battle line is deep and narrow. That gives me the chance to outflank them and to block their advance in the centre at the same time. Also, because they are so tight they might not be able to wheel properly and once in motion lances are difficult to turn. Any swift reforms can be very cumbersome for the big units in particular.

I wanted to use these limitations to my advantage.

It was very interesting to see Beast magic with Prophetess and Damsel. There was a potential to get 2 wildforms per turn that would make the knights true beasts! (pun intended!). With book of Ashur that lady was difficult to stop and the fact that there is -1 to cast for cavalry when target of beast magic made it even more dangerous for me. You see, the weakness of the Bretonnian army is that the knights are S3 after the charge. But with so many characters and wildform that can be nicely balanced out. Not to mention about Savage Beast of Horrors!

Lances vs MSU - which is going to prevail?

Armies after vanguards - can you spot missing units?

I had to deploy my entire army first and when rolling for reinforcements I got eagle claw, chariot and archers in reserves. A pity about eagle claw as it meant I lost a turn of shooting.

On the other hand, Richard's Prophetess and one unit of Knights were not present yet either. Well, at least she was not alone A unit of bowmen was late to the game too.

Bretonnian wizards had following spells:

Prophetess - Wyssan's Wildform, Penn's Impenetrable Pelt, The Curse of Anraheir, The Savage Beasts of Horrors
Damsel - Wyssan's Wildform

Trebuchet hunt

Reinforcements arrive

With enemy still far away Elves move cautiously. Only light troops on the right flank move at a double to hunt down the trebuchet crew before the war machine is going to cause trouble.

Shots are directed at the nearest unit of knights but their armour and devotion proves to be a good enough protection and only two of them are unhorsed. All reinforcements arrive too.

Impetus knights gallop forward

Prepare to charge!

Bretonnians spurred their horses and moved towards the Elves at a double. Their own reinforcements had to be quick to catch up. Pegasus Knights changed the sides and threatened Elven light troops.

The peasants operating the trebuchet moved fast and launched a huge boulder before they were attacked. They even managed to land it on the unsuspecting Sisters, who had no chance to escape the death from above.

It's a TRAP!

The eagles have landed

The eagles landed in front of the two most powerful units of the enemy and blocked their movement while the rest of the units manoeuvred to threaten the flanks of the enemy formation.

The shooting focused on the small knights errant unit and this time there were no survivors. Also Shadow Warriors made sure the trebuchet is not going to shoot again.

Bretonnians charge!

Even bowmen join the close combat

Bretonnian Lord orders an attack and both eagles perish trampled under the hooves. Both regiments turn to respective flanks to face incoming attacks.

Even bowmen attack elven light troops that were too close and reavers are forced to hold to protect the flank.

Prophetess, trying to make up for her late arrival, casts her magic to infuse superhuman strength to the paladin leading Knights of the Realm to battle. Elven Loremaster is unable to dispel the irresistible magic but the feedback costs the life of the two of her bodyguards.

Elves attack!

Only to bounce back!

Using the opportunity Elven units charge. Both chariots and White Lions storm into the smaller regiment of Bretonnian knights. But yet again their armour and devotion seem to be the best protection. Then Bretonnian paladin, like a savage beast from horrors, hacks left and right and only brave Chracians are stubborn enough to hold. Charioteers are forced to withdraw.

Peasant bowmen surprisingly finish off all the light cavalry and remain in their position. Finally, shooting claims one of the Pegasus knights.

Edit: I had to move Silver Helms as a blocker because Reavers failed their march test ...

Bretonnians keep attacking ...

Trying to break through

Peasant bowmen, getting brave, charge retreating chariots and force both of them to withdraw even further. Knights of the Realm fight against Lions and one Chracian remains to hold the line.

Silver Helms stand bravely against the full might of the bretonnian lance but stand no chance to hold. However, elven archers managed to destroy both Pegasus knights before they had a chance to strike! Surely these elves are Swordmasters in disguise!

Elves in relentless attack

This time the attack is not stopped easily

Larry the Loremaster leads his Lions to save their brave companion. Also reavers charge the rear of the knights and the units breaks only to be caught in pursuit by fast cavalry.

Swordmasters do not let another, already depleted, unit of knights to escape and capture the Prophetess herself. However, the lone survivor refuses to break.

On the Western flank the archers school bowmen in the art of archery. Only 2 most promising students make to the next level!

There is only one left!

Main unit of the Bretonnian army in a break through

Bretonnian general, oblivious to what happens around him, charges another enemy in front of him and yet another elven unit is destroyed.

Single survivor of the prophetess bodyguard refuses to die again!

Elves do not engage

Let them go

Larry the Loremasters, seeing that not all of the units are in the position to attack and that the enemy is still too powerful, decided not to attack. Shooting and magic do not do enough damage but Swordmasters finally finish off the last stubborn knight of the realm.

Last charge

To freedom!

Bretonnian lord has his last target in sight and his knights can only follow. Eagle claw is destroyed and bretonnian only regiment breaks through encirclement. Despite that Elves still claim the victory.

As usual Bretonnian Knights prove very hard to defeat. The amount of arrows they simply deflected and amount of hits they didn't care about was enormous. But I knew that and tried to apply even more strength to the attacks.

In the end it worked enough to secure the victory. I think Richard played a little to my strengths as he moved through the middle of the battle field thus giving me the chance to go around his flanks. Even with some protection of the rocks it was not enough to prevent that. Then he started to react to my moves and lost impetus. I think it would have been harder for me to put up a decent fight if he turned to either of the flanks and tried to charge half of my force. I also wonder if spreading the characters more evenly among the units would have been a better idea?

Despite the fact I won there were a few mistakes that I should not have made.

First, the reavers and exposed flank of Swordmasters to the bowmen attack. It was good move to protect the flank but positioning should be at an angle so that overrun would not have led to the flank of the formation there. If reavers didn't hold I would have been in trouble.

I can't remember what number of impact hits I got but I think it was below the average. It was a good attack but with the powerful character it didn't go well. The good thing is that eventually I got this unit and it was also thanks to pinning it for long enough so that Larry could charge in himself.

But the most crucial mistake that robed me of the opportunity to attack the main enemy units was when I didn't position Swordmasters led by Bob and the chariot so that they could see that unit. Ideally, I wanted both Swordmaster units there but one stubborn knight held them too long.

I still don't know if that were enough to defeat that monstrous regiment but at least some of the characters would have been pinned and I could have directed many attacks at the unit.

A pity because I was very curious what it takes to defeat such a powerful regiment.

In the end I was very happy with the result (12.45 - 7.55 ) and even more so with the fact we had a great game!

Thanks for reading!