Invasion of the Vamps part 1

YAY battle reports....with PHOTOS

Ryan the vampire player came round the other day for a couple of games. A great chance to try  my High Elves and the new Empire vs a very fun army (didnt think I would use that word to describe vampires).

His list was something like this:

Vampire lord: lvl4 (vampires), Barded nightmare, HA, SoMight, charmed shield, 4++, powerstone, Master of blak arts

Vampire: lvl1 (vampires), HA, sh, Dhelm, book of Arkhan

Vampire: lvl1 (shadow), HA, 2hw, scroll

43 Ghouls: C

4x5 Dire Wolves

10 Black Knights: FC-banner of swiftness

2x1 spirit hosts

5 Blood Knights

2 Varghulfs

So nice and fast list. lvl4 in the black knights means they will be impossible to kill. Double varghulf also creates problems...should be fun.

Game 1: Watchtower

My list:

Prince: "normal" dragon, GW, Armour of caledor, vambraces of defence, other trickster's shard

lvl2: high, scroll

BSB: Dragon armour, GW, reavor bow

2x10 Archers: m

38 Spears: FC-flame

26 Wlions: FC-amulet of light

26 Wlions: FC
2 Eagles

So good on me rolling up watchtower mission. We deployed like this:

 

Turn 1:

Since I didnt control the watchtower I got first turn. All I really could do was move everything up and keep a tight formation as I was conscious of the very fast flanks. Magic phase was uneventful...drain magic dispelled. Shooting from revor bow took  1 wound from the spirit host threatening the tower. My archers shot wolves and dropped 1 unit to 2 and another to 1.

The Vampires then got the chance to march and I learnt one of the new rules-General range for march is no longer measured at beginning of the phase. The bloodknights with general angled to face off with my spears. The wolves on left side moved to spears flank. Spirit host entered tower.

The right side moved fast. Most worrying part was the 2 varghulfs. Magic phase resulted in the spears getting miasma'ed down by 2.

Turn 2:

The FIGHT IS ON! Eagle charged the wolves. BSB jumped ship from spears (who moved back to allow the wlions to squeeze through the gap). Prince flew into position to smash whatever it could (but out of ghoul charge arc).

On right flank my wlions hit and wiped out the final wolf...40VPS YEAH! 2nd Eagle flies up to die  gloriously.

Super BSB did 2 wounds to the spirit host in the tower...my celebration became quickly muted when Ryan told me they have 4 wounds...sad face. Archers did more wounds to wolves. I think I got drain magic off. In combat my eagle killed a wolf and 2 crumbled. BOOM!

Vampires turn, well...the standoff became even more of a standoff as the blood knights squared off even more and the ghouls moved up to close the gap.

Big fail on right flank. Archers fled a flank charge from wolves...and ran 2 inches to their death...sigh. Spirit host then moved up to force overrun into varghulf to set up varghulf sandwich.

 

Magic did scary stuff that wasnt immediately scary. In combat the Eagle lived! fled 10...and was run down.

Turn 3:

GAME ON. Wlions charge Ghouls, Dragon charges Blood knights.

Spears were feeling left out so swift reformed to go see what was happening on the other flank. IN Magic phase I failed to cast 5++ on the wlions in combat with ghouls. Shooting almost wounded one of the varghulfs. Combat...the real phase. Wlions vs Ghouls is a blood bath for the ghouls. Heaps and heaps died + the 2 vampires. In return my BSB passed 4 out of 4 5+ armour saves and the wlions passed 5 out of 6 5+ armour saves. Only 5 ghouls were left after crumble.

And then I challenged the Vampire to a one-on-one test of martial skill. Long story short...dragon suffered 4 wounds and the general died with no vampires left alive = ARMY CRUMBLE...only 2 ghouls and the spirit host in the building died. Spirit host vs magical wlions = over run into varghulf.

Vampires. ANOTHER crumble test (1 blood knight and the 2 direwolves that run down archers).

WLion sandwich with black knights in left flank, varghulf in the right and varghulf in the front = not looking good for me.

In combat the Dragon finished off the bloodknights (1 wound left on dragon). The wlions finished off the ghouls. The other wlions put up a good fight killing a few black knights and putting a wound on the varghulf in front...though lost all but front rank.

Turn 4:

Not much left to do except occupy building, and rear charge dragon into the black knights. Magic failed me again. in the combat dragon, prince, and 1 wlion killed all the black knights and the wlions leaving only lvl2 left....SNAKE EYES!!!!!

Vampire turn...lvl2 dies and we call it a game.

So a resounding victory to the High Elves due to epic wlion vs 43 ghoul combat (stopping van hels there being key!) and Prince proving his better martial skill...when accompanied by a dragon and the other trickster's shard.

Part two "Ode to the Musician" coming soon.