High Elf painting update

Yo yo yo 

Slow progress is slow. With all the gaming (and gardening) I havn't had much chance to paint. 

However in saying that I have finished a few things:

Alith Anar

Of the special characters, this guy is my favourite. Cool fluff, fun rules and a completely useless cool looking sword. This guy is also the first finished metal model in my High Elf force.

Old Dragon Princes

Eagle Eyed observers of the last couple of battle reports will have spotted these guys in various states of unfinished. I have finally finished the front rank! These guys will be used as Silverhelms if running a bus - which I have been recently. 

Anywho that's all that's finished so far. There's still more on the way...I just have to get around to basing it and other boring things like that. I'm picking up my Salamander Forgeworld stuff on Saturday, so I can start devoting some time to getting them assembled. 

How to lose a game - follow these easy steps!

Hi All,

Wow - battle report spam! Next post will be a painting update I promise! Heaps to post.

Anywho 4000pts of goodness again. This time on a 6x4 table (the biggest we could get).

My list:
Prince on Stardragon: HA, sh, 4+ ward, Ogre Blade, Other Trickster's Shard
lvl4: Lore of Heavens, Book of Hoeth
BSB: Bsteed, HA, sh, lance, Opal Amulet
Noble: Bsteed, HA, sh, lance
Noble on ASF devastating charge Griffon: Sword of Might, Dawnston, ch. sh, DA,
Noble on ASF devastating charge Griffon: Starlance, Golden Crown, Dhelm, HA, sh, lioncloak
13 Silverhelms: FC (shields)
2x5 Reavors
22 Archers: M, SB
30 Spears: FC
25 Swordmasters: FC - BOWD
Frostie
Frostie
4x1 RBT

So 5 flying monsters of death!

Ryans: 
Archoen
Slaanesh lvl4: steed, scroll 2+as
Unkillable BSB on disk
20 Slaanesh Warriors: FC - halberds
3x5 vanguard doggies
3x1 Slaanesh chariots
9 hellstriders: FC
8 Trolls
Chimera (breath, regen)
Warshrine
2x1 Hellcannon
4 Skullcrushers: FC

We deploy:

Now, this first point is really crucial - make sure you fail to go first even with your +1. THis is particularly important as the Hellcannon needs to rolls a "hit" and take out a rank of your knight bus early on.

In return move your monsters up into offensive positions to draw in the charge. Your knight bus will need to fail a charge and stumble forward 9 inches as well. 22 short-range shots from the archers at the hellsteed "bus" are to only hit 8 times and the RBT's are to miss as well allowing the lvl4 the luxury of survival/escape.

Draw the charges in by fleeing with your Helmbus 1 inch less than you need to avoid being pushed off the table (rolled a 5 for flee...). Now that you've given up a heap of points draw the chariots into a frostie and take 2 wounds on the Stardragon from spirit leech.

Fail all your wardsaves and since you are taking leaderships on 3d6 make sure break and run having failing to do enough wounds/taking too many (given they are hitting on 4's, wounding on 6's...)

Oh yeah - and have a Hellcannon squash your Stardragon. Of course having also failed to roll a 6 to charge the swordmasters in the first turn...instead take a charge to the face

fluff all your attacks, break and run.

In your turn, clean up the chariots with the remaining monsters and IF Chain Lightning (taking a wound) and although it jumps 6 times do a collective 5 wounds to stuff. Survive the next turn (thank goodness) and then pounce for the kill.

30 Spears into to the flank of the trolls and 1 griffon and frostie in the front of Archoen's bunker, and a griffon in the flank. IF with the lvl4 and kill half your spears naturally

and dont forget to fail to do any wounds, loose the lvl4 (even with iceshard and curse of the midnight moon up) and win by a musician!

Smash face with the monsters - having locked Archoen in combat with a griffon and dropping him to s4 = not that scary!

But of course, of the 3 wounds that make it through to the Frostie, make sure to fail all your saves (no wards passed this game...).

Your opponent at this stage will commit more points to the combat (making it worth 1500+pts) and fail to add the skullcrushers (would have make contact with a griffon with 1 wound left) to keep the game interesting. At this stage your confidence will be very high because you know that there are enough warriors left for you to give yourself a big combat win.

Oh wait - 6 dice Choir later...

 Nope...Chuck Tesla.

And there you have it! you're prince is still alive in your only "combat" unit left (archers) who + the RBT's won you the right flank...shame about the left and middle! Given the Crushers had a great line to run down the archers we called the game.

Summary:
A crazy game where dice deserted me in all the wrong ways. Ryan said he didn't win the game...my army lost it!

I didn't think the shorter table would have made much of a difference given that at Ruination the games all ended up playing like it was 6x4 anyway. HOWEVER, the extra 2 feet of length meant deployment was more than just simply lining the units up. This cramping of the battleline gave the WoC in this game a huge advantage because there were no gaps in their line for me to exploit.

So there you have it.

OMG Warpflame is Super Broken!

Hi all,

Righty.

History: back in 7th edition my friend Alex played demons in all their filthy glory. Sure he would argue that he went outside the norm by taking tzeentch heralds with loremaster beasts on chariots (for the magical charge + unit strength 5), but at the end of the day it was just filthy demons bullying my Woodies and Empire. Fast forward to the present and after a period of self exile Alex is back and rather energised by the new Demon book that as boring as it can be (nurgle yawn) it has some exiting elements to it...for me to seek revenge on...

His list: 
lvl2 Tzeentch herald: Metal
4x10 Horrors: M, SB
6 Beasts
2x1 Beast
2x1 Seeker Chariots
5 Seekers
2x5 Nurgle Furies
5 Ambushing Hounds
2x1 Skillcannon
3 Plague Drones: SB
Tzeentch Burning Chariot

My list:
Prince on Stardragon: Heavy Armour, Lioncloak, Charmed Shield, Golden Crown, Sword of Might, Other Tricksters Shard
Dragon Mage lvl2: Dragon Armour, Enchanted Shield, Ring of Fury (or whatever it is now called)
BSB: Barded Steed, Heavy Armour, shield, lance, Banner of the World Dragon
14 Silverhelms: FC (shields)
2x5 Reavors
10 Archers: M, SB
Frostheart Phoenix
4x1 RBT
Eagle with Shredding Talons

An interesting matchup. MSU with nurgle anvil and chariots (heck even Slaanesh stuff!) vs monstermash High Elves with the banner of broken. Alex rolled up Gateway, Final Transmutation, and lots of blue fire.

We rolled up Meeting Engagement. Alex deployed first (1 skillcannon off board). I ended up with 1 RBT and the Dragon Mage off the board.

Alex kindly points out the source of his frustration (and my stubborn dragons) 

Yup unpainted minis - I have only JUST started painting up the Silverhelms (ie the old metal Dragon Princes) and Alex is making good progress on his Demons - especially for someone who dislikes painting. Yellow with purple for nice vibrant colours - looking forward to seeing it completed.

The game started in it's own eventful way. Seeker chariot into some Reavors, Plague Drones into Frostie - Venom thickett granting one of the drones poison (oh joy!) Furies see to be there to stop my Silverhelms getting into the beasts and anchoring them on the seeker chariot for counter charge.

Frostie held the combat (boom!) and the burning chariot decided to flame template the Eagle. 1 wound followed by failed toughness test for another 3 wounds = poor eagle didnt even get to have a turn the big bully :( Reavors didn't fair that much better. The skillcannon that started off the board came on and exploded (sympathy = 0) and the other 1 did a single wound to the Stardragon and removed the charmed shield. Final Transmutation dispelled with a skilful double 6 roll.

In return the silverhelms rolled the furies and charged into the seeker chariot (that had taken a wound from a fireball). Stardragon went straight into the beasts and flaming sword was dispelled...however the ring of fury did take out the seekers. 25pts well spent! (though they did only have a 6+ ward) Frostie continued to be awesome and pick wounds. Stardragon took out a beast and won the combat. RBT's were their usual useless selves and picked wounds from the odd chariot.

So chariots: Nothing like picking on the weak?

Or the hounds of Khorne picking on the even weaker?

Or even worse using the super broken warpfire to kill my Dragonmage?

Yes, that is the mythical forest dragon model, and yes I have yet to pass a warpfire Toughness test...

All that was ok because in my turn 2 I did this:

HA! who needs magic?

(Stardragon and Beasts continue to duke it out. Stardragon slowly loosing wounds. I think the prince has died at this point)

The next unit of furies comes along to die (sent back to the warp?) for the greater good

And the bullies keep on bullying.

Now that my monsters are free from the drones they are hungry for more nurgle...or maybe a little full from the last snack and they both fail the charge to support the stardragon. The Silverhelms reform to wear a cannonshot down the flank and stop the lurking solo beast from getting a sneaky flank charge and ruining my plans.

Now the Horrors think it is finally safe to flank the stardragon...

...and the final 2 wounds fall. I really should have kept a tally of exactly how many poison attacks it took to kill mr Stardragon and Prince...but it would be over 50.

Oh well, 700ishvps down right there...time for dessert...Frozen Horrors, with a Beast flavoured night cap from the overrun.

Skillcannon down the flank does nothing to the Silverhelms...gotta love a 2+ ward.

In charge the Silverhelms to take out the solo beast. BSB stuck in challenge and the Beast survives on a single wound (who gave them 4 wounds each seriously?). In charge the support...

Lots of fluffed attacks and stuff...yeah. a snake eyes magic phase kills enough for the silverhelms to break free with static combat res...and wear an IF'ed final Transmutation. The beasts roll a snake eyed break test to get back 1 of the beasts that had been killed...but the cavalry finally rush in (bottom turn 6) to save the day with healthy amounts of Static Combat Res!

 
End Result:  All I had left alive was the BSB, silverhelms, Sun Dragon and Frostie, but it was enough to win the game comfortably. My back line was (once again) ruthlessly exposed by Alex's list and my Chaff were simply free points since I had control of the board thanks to the flying monsters.

The list: VERY fun to play. It felt a little small and I know it would suck at the Watch Tower mission and have some very nervous Blood and Glory games, but that shouldn't detract from the fact that it is a flying (stubborn) monster list of cool.

Next game I have promised to not that the Banner of the World Dragon...I wonder if I can successfully work lvl4 on High Magic + Annointed in a big unit of Swordmasters...

RUINATION write up

Hey hey hey,

4000pts of Warhammer goodness x4 over 2 days = a weekend well spent wargaming. My list was reasonably random and can be read here.

Anywho:

GAME ONE vs Hagen Lizards

deployment:

Lots of skinks, not many monsters and plenty of annoying stuff to get to my back line...

yup...annoying stuff in my back line. So what to do? Charge Great Swords into Carnasaur.

And make all the skinks flee

Oh yeah and get off silly long range stank charge (casually)

and charge mage bunkers into terradons

and blast apart the closest one

Easy?

Well no. Thankfully the other unit of terradons failed their charge, but my Reiksguard knights who were clearing out a flank found themselves in a spot of bother + a scarvet thought he would pin the Demis

And of course the Carnasaur guy has a 1+ armour, 4+ ward, charmed shield, and stubborn crown. Knights charge in to support the stank

In return? Nothing too major...

But the saurus run! (and so do the halberds and the demis die a horrible death...Krox are BROKEN)

Though this does free up the stank to squish the old blood.

well almost. 1 billion impact hits did 1 wound, so the Great Swords finished him off like a boss, while Karl Franz and the boyz go pick on skinks.

We run out of time after 4 turns so we call it. Result: 15-5 win!

GAME 2 vs Ray's Dark Elves

Nothing too scary in this list...only Morathi and Hellebron in horde of witch elves + a hag BSB on a cauldron + horde of Executioners with frenzy hag + other stuff.

So none of this "dance around getting good set ups" nonsense. The bus of death marches forward into my well set trap...

While everything else moves to pick on Karl Franz

Except a unit of spears who were stuck in a stand off with stubborn knights and some black guard who thought it would be fun to pick on my swordsmen in the building.

So Hellebron and co fall into my well set trap!

The 2 knights are there to remind us that the Amber Mage transformed into a Mountain Chimera! 9 wounds from Hellebron later and 1 billion poison s3 from the witches meant the Mountain Chimera didnt get to wreak face...in fact none of my stuff did :(

Karl Franz threw caution to the wind and charged into the Executioners. Max overkill on the unit champ and a dead hag later Karl Franz and his bus won the combat by 1. Executioners roll an 11, break and are run down!

Morathi spent most of the game fleeing. Here she is trying to swing the combat vs Reiksguard knights...nope fleeing again.

Stank dies to Hellebron, Halberds and Demis rally (demis lose a model to dangerous terrain...3 1's rolled grr)

Hellebron charges into the halberds again to finish them off, however she was not counting on 3 super halberds all hitting, all wounding, and then failing all her saves! In other news the Great Swords make it across to the spears to wreck face.

Top of turn 6 I was winning the game...just. All that stood between a win and defeat was 1 demi and the Inner Circle knight standard bearer...

Stupid broken Medusas and warlocks! Bottom turn 6 the game swings from 11-9 win to a 8-12 loss. Good close game. My cannons failed to destroy the cauldron, but they did pick up a scourge runner and the hydra, so I guess they got some stuff - just not the important thing!

GAME 3 vs Jeff's OnG

Right day 2 and I draw Green Dwarfs. OR Jeff was looking for tournament points and I was a good match up for him :P

 We deploy, I get first turn and both cannons explode, stank takes 3 wounds from misfire and engineered helblaster + repeater pistol from stank cannot kill 5 wolf riders... in reply I get a chariot charging the hellblaster and a health dose of foot of gork.

I'm surrounded so I do what can only be done...move some stuff forward to give myself some space and hopefully draw some of the castle out for some combat (HA!)

Meanwhile Karl Franz is embarking on his epic swing to the centre around the flank picking up the easy points. Stank takes 2 fanatics for another 4 wounds...

THE SWING TO THE CENTRE WORKS...just gotta use the stank as the "bait"

...and then mangler goes through it (the other one got clipped by his wolf rider "bus" completing a charge)

And a few more of these guys doing what they do best

And my last ditch desperate ploy to get some points hinged on a 6 dice Mountain chimera...

...nope. But I did get wildform off!

So once again armour vs Green Dwarf = Green Dwarf wins 5-15. Well played and as much fun as getting artilleried/manglered/fanaticed/trolled/and footed can be :P

GAME 4 vs James' WoC

Righty - Archaon and Throgg have teamed up to smash face!

None of this deployment nonsense lets get right into it. Stank into Dragon Ogres

and shoot at SkullCrushers

I draw the knights + BSB into the Timewarped demis...

SHould be an easy hold and smash with stank...unless the demis fluff everything,break and run...

...OR I can anchor them on the swordsmen behind...yeah that works too. Gotta love my Chaff demis. Meanwhile in "competent combat unit" land my Halberds flank some Khorne warriors while their screen throw themselves at Throgg.

Mountain Chimera FTW and I get the overrun into a demonic mounted Exalted Hero + I've found a good use for my Demis - Proxying Mountain Chimeras!

Meanwhile the chaff move to set up the Monster smash has exposed Karl Franz to a longish range charge to the flank (totally forgot about reform when moving Karl)

Karl is Caught and wiffs his attacks thanks to regen

And breaks from combat and escapes! However the Steel Standard works against them and due to a re-rolling 1 he flees 11 (not the 7 I wanted) and is off the board along with the BSB. Who needs them anyway? Meanwhile the stank/swords/knights combat has been joined by an exalted on a disc.

And then the warshrine joins in too (why not)

AND then once the swordsmen "depart" some Reiksguard knights replace them

Killing the warshrine and the Stank finally by the end of the game grinds out the knights and the BSB. Meanwhile some Marauders hop out of the building to stop the Great Swords getting to Throgg (nope - blending time!)

 And the Mountain Chimera and co get to Archaon and his posse. All those dice represent how pimped out the unit champ is!

The unit champ takes Archaon to the face (kinky) while the Halberds (oh yeah, and Mountain Chimera) go Nato on the unit

Snakes eyes needed and Archaon, the Lord of the Chaos wastes, the greatest threat the Empire has ever known is run down by some puny Halberds...and to top it off the Great Swords get into Throgg

5+ ward, re-roll to hit, re-roll to wound (flaming attacks dispelled) = only 1 troll left standing and is run down to finish the game off. 

Result: 15-5 win to the Empire. Karl Franz, bus and BSB running off was a huge loss (like 1000pts kinda loss) so good to be able to pull the points back thanks to a certain Mountain Chimera! I might actually have to get the model now in celebration!

Sum up

Overall I came in the middle. Though being a fun event it doesnt really matter where you come (unless you win of course!). 

Ruination was a fantastic event. It has inspired me to play more "big" games. I especially loved the complexity of not always having BSB/General bubble where you need it. With so many units on a big table = you cannot engineer the single important combat you can at 2400pts.

Unit of the Event: Great Swords - as usual when I take them. Never died, never lost a combat, a solid 2nd hit unit to have in reserve. 

MVP: Amber Mage is clear winner here. Karl Franz in close second, but ultimately let down by fluffing vs Throgg.

Tomorrow I have a game vs Alex - Demons on Dragon Heavy High Elves. I'll take some pics for a report.