Battle Report- Empire Vs High Elves

2250 pts @ Plastic Legions HQ 2/22


Jeff from Hammer's Blog brought his High Elves over this afternoon, we been talking about this game for awhile and its a reschedule from a snow out last month. I've recently changed my list up after taking a couple of severe beatings most notably against a Khorne Demonic Legion, which really exposed some unnecessary weakness and wasted points against strong melee armies, I dropped my Pistoliers in lieu of bumping my knights up to inner circle and added more core troops. So far the results are positive, narrowly losing to an old school, very tough Dogs of War army in the last dice roll of turn 6 ( where my knights broke ran and were destroyed) giving my opponent a marginal victory instead of a +40 point draw, and then this game. I'll test it again against a brand new Vampire Counts Army on tuesday night.


Army Lists

THE EMPIRE

LORD

General of Empire
Sword of Power
Holy Relic
Enchanted Shield
Warhorse w/ Barding

HEROES

Captain
Battle Standard Bearer
Armor of Metoric Iron
Sword of Justice

Wizard
Level 2
Dispel Scroll x2

Priest
Icon of Magnus
Sigil of Sigmar

CORE

29 Swordsmen/ FC with War Banner
Detachment 10 Spearmen
10 Free Company

10 Handgunners
marksman w/ HLR

10 Crossbows

10 Huntsmen (scouts)\

15 Flagellants

SPECIAL

2 Great Cannon

12 Knightly Orders /FC
Inner Circle
Bannor of Valor

14 Greatswords / FC

RARE

Hellblaster Volley Gun

_____________________________________________________

HIGH ELVES

LORD

High Elven Prince
Elven Steed
Blade of Leaping Gold
Armor of Caledor

HEROES

Korhil, Captain of the White Lions
Chayal
Pelt of Charandis

Elven Mage
Level 2
Dispel Scroll
Guardian Phoenix

Elven Mage
Level 1
Dispel Scroll


CORE

20 Spearmen /FC

15 Spearmen/ FC

10 Archers

10 Archers

SPECIAL

20 White Lions of Chrace /FC
Banner of Sorcery

8 Silver Helms

1 Lion Chariot

RARE

2 Repeater Bolt Thrower


Deployment- terrain set up was even on both sides with no advantage for either
2 Hills, 2 Woods, and since its 4x8 I added a couple of buildings with similiar fences and hedges in each corner. The watchtower stood on a hill in the exact center of the table.


Empire- My deployment was pretty standard my core in the center, with my Knights on a flank in this case my left. My Hellblaster Flagellants and some Handgunners behind a wall held the right. My cannons in the rear with some ranked crossbowmen on the hill, I usually keep my crossbows on the frontline so they can shoot first turn, but for space purposes, I figured on the hill, they'd miss 1st turn but have targets all game. My Greatswords and priest were also on the left flank, I waited to deploy them last to help deal with his cavalry. finally I have some scouts who set up in the right side wood hoping to harass his backfield.


High Elves- Jeff basically matched mine with his General and Silver Helms on his right flank and Chariot on the Left, one group of archers on the hill behind the bolt throwers. His core spears and white lions directly across from my swordsmen.


Spells- I have 4 PD and 4 DD, I choose the lore of fire and roll Fireball and Conflagration of Doom
Jeffs has 5PD and 4DD he rolls Courage of Aenarion, Guardian Light and Cleansing Flare he also has Drain Magic.


Turn 1- Empire

I move everyone but my shooters forward 4", hoping to delay the melee and maximize my superior shooting phase. In the magic phase, my priest casts a prayer making the Greatswords "unbreakable" it's RIP so Jeff's let go for now.I successfully cast conflagration but jeff decides to use a dispel scroll, I fail my fire ball attempt. My Shooting is solid and I kill 6 white lions
Jeff makes his panic check, there is no close combat.

Turn 1- High Elves

Jeff's moves up similiar to as I did, with the exception of his chariot which takes it full move toward my Hellblaster, hoping to blow through and get around my rear, I am only going to get one chance he to take it out. In the Magic Phase. he mages casts Courage of Aenarion, I let it go in order to dispel something else. His shooting phase is successful as well using his Bolt Throwers to kill 3 Swordsmen and 3 Flagellants, which his Longbows on the left side get lucky and kill one of my knights. Again no close combat.


Turn 2- Empire
I have no charges yet and again slowly advance most of my troops hoping that his Silver Helms and General, who are directly behind a hedgerow are far enough way that their charge will fail when they have to cross the obstacle. I patiently wait but move my Greatswords so if he does successfully charge my the greatswords can flank charge them next turn. My Huntsmen move out the woods to fire on one of the bolt throwers. My Magic Phase is total miss and Shooting phase starts out as total disaster, as despite excellent range guess I roll double miss fires!!, one cannon blowing up and the other malfunctioning ( Out of four dice rolled, I manage to roll 3 "1's" , 2 misfires and the Kaboom) Thankfully my Hellblaster has its sights on the oncoming chariot and I roll 16 shots and score 11 hits, and 7 wounds, enough to blow it away outright with Str 5 -3 to save thanks to armor piercing, I get them all .I couldn't have hoped for better rolls there my Crossbows also manage to get 1 more White Lion soldier.


Turn 2- High Elves

The High Elf General and the Silver Helms charge my knights, and even with the Hedgerow as an obstacle they are just in so I take the charge. I am totally fearing his Generals "7" attacks plus the 10 more from the unit on the charge, but as it went luck was on my side this day.

Jeff's regular moves consisted of moving his core troops around to maximize the soon to be melee with my Swordsmen and their detachments. another Courage of Aerarion goes up in the Magic Phase and in the shooting phase the Bolt throwers kill another 3 swordsmen, one of the HBVG crew and his bows snipe 1 huntsmen and 1 Greatswordsmen. In close combat Jeff gets the kind of luck that I think is usually reserved for myself, with 17 attacks on the charge he only kills 1 of my knights, on the strike back I kill one of his. The break test is 4 to 2 in my favor (one kill, standard, 1 rank and outnumber VS one kill and a standard) Jeff roll's "double 6's" on his break test and then only a "4" on the 3D6 for the flee move, I only roll a "8" myself but more than enough to run them down, taking the general out of the game with them. My Knights also grab the Silver helms Standard. That sucked for big time Jeff and I felt for him, similar has happened to me on numerous occasions.


Turn 3- Empire

My Knights plow ahead charging a unit of Elf Archers who are behind a fence obstacle. The Greatswords move around the woods headed for a unit of Spearmen and the level 2 mage. I also move my HBVG and Handgunners, not having anymore targets on that side of the field, I need to move up to hit something. My flagellants march forward trying to get them to where the action is and I also move my spearmen and free company ahead of my swordsmen so they can block the inevitable charge from the White Lions. My Magic Phase does nothing and in the shooting phase I kill 1 more White Lion with my Crossbows and 1 crewmen from the far side boltthrower as well. My Knight are all I have in the Close combat phase and even losing all my benefits for charging a unit behind a obstacle and including going 1st thanks to Speed of Asuryan- I kill 6 of them, they break and are run are down, my pursuit role is a "14' which takes me off the table so my knight wont return until next turn.


Turn 3- High Elves

The White Lions charge my spearmen detachment. I actually hoping they break here because I they don't cause panic (being a detachment) and my General and Swordsmen are set up to charge the next turn if they do. Jeff's big block of Spearmen move up toward my free company and his others move up as well. During the magic phase I need to use a scroll on high die cast of "cleansing flare" then my dice to dispel another "courage" spell. In Jeff's shooting phase he kills 3 huntsmen fail the panic check and rout, 1 Flagellant, one only free company guy despite scoring 4 hits from a RBG volley, his wounds came up short on the dice. In close combat I only lose 3 spearmen, but its enough that they lose combat by 5 with my General nearby they need a "4" to make the break test and I roll a "4" not ideal, but way to hold on detachment!.

( An interesting thing came up I couldn't find in the rule book during charges and that my spearmen's left side was on difficult terrain and my right side was half off, the White Lions could only reach them if they charged the half that wasn't on the difficult terrain, normally if the charge is successful you snap them over to lock up and maximize models, but because they couldn't reach the portion on the difficult terrain we left them lined up staggered, meaning half the White Lion unit was open to be charged next turn. The problem is when I read Jeff's list after the game is that White Lions are "Woodsmen" and don't take a terrain penalty, so they shouldn't have been in this position and should have snapped over, Jeff's didn't catch this. although I don't it mattered because I just could have flanked charged them, which probably would have been worse)


Turn 4- Empire

My Swordmen charge the exposed portion of the White Lion front ranks., My Huntsmen rally,
My Flagellants move ahead and are now coming around the rear of the White Lion/ Swordsmen Melee, My greatswords march ahead and set up for Flank Charge on the Jeff's smaller unit of Spearmen, My Knight are back on the table and move 7" head towards the rear of everything else. Again my magic phase sucks winds, Jeff doesn't even need to cast drain magic as I can't get an 11+ on 3 dice for conflagration, nor a 5 on for fireball, he's using all his DD to stop my bound 4 prayers from the priest. My cannon over shoots with a roll of "10" on the spot roll. None of my other shooters have targets, except my crossbows who manage to kill a couple spearmen. In Close Combat, the White Lions kill all my spearmen and 1 swordsmen I lose combat by two and need a "7" and make it.



Turn 4- High Elves

Jeff's spearmen charge my free company blocking them from wheeling into the White Lions Flank next turn, he also rotates his other unit of Spearmen to Avoid the flank charge of my greatswords (although my Knights can flank him), Again I use a scroll on Cleansing Flare and use my DD on the "courage" spell, Jeff gets Guardian Light off as well and I cant dispell it. Bolt Thrower Kills 1 one of my knights and again three more huntsmen get shoot down by the archers on the hill, this time they make the panic test. In close combat Jeff's spearmen easily kill most of my free company, leaving three to run, the pursuit puts head into my exposed front portion of my swordsmen battling the White Lions., end result is I only lose 1 swordsmen, while jeff loses 1 white Lion, I win combat thanks to my large static bonuses, the White Lions are break and run 8", I am still stuck in combat with spearmen so I can't pursue. ( although I would have gotten the White Lions banner here, we forgot this)

Turn 5- Empire

My Greatswords Charge the spearmen they are facing and my Knight charge the same units flank. My General has a chance alone to Charge the fleeing White Lions, but they manage to escape. My remaining Free Company guys rally, my flagellants move closer to the fray. Again my magic amounts to nothing. In shooting- my remaining huntsmen killed the lone crewman on the one Bolt Thrower and my cannon scores and takes out the other Bolt Thower but not the crew . Close Combat leaves 6 Spearman dead, but I lose one greatsword, and two knights rolling "double 1"s on my two wounds scored by his spearmen, Despite Jeff's break there my bonuses with the flank are too huge and he fails the break test, My Knights have the bigger unit strength so he flees from them, my knights pursue but are stopped as they run smack into the high elf level 2 mage, the remaining spearmen escape, my greatswords might able to catch them but if they fail, they will be stuck in the woods next turn, so I restrain and make the leadership check. My Swordmen also break his other unit of Spearmen who flee but I again do not catch them. Its looking grim for the High Elves here, as move of his army is fleeing.

Turn 5 High Elves-

Thanks to Guardian Light all Jeff's units auto Rally, his only movement is to have the remaining crew from the destroyed bolt thrower reman the Bolt thrower with the destroyed crew so he will get to use it on his last turn. There isnt much Magic because his level 2 mage has the RIP spell going and his other mages spell is easily dispelled. Jeff's only shooting is the archers on the hill who shoot at my Flagellants (not sure if I lost any here) In close combat his level 2 mage is killed by my knights who overrun right back into the rallied unit of spearmen they routed the previous turn.

Turn 6 Empire-

My General and Swordsmen both charge the rallied bigger block of rallied spearmen and the Flagellant also flank charge it, I leave the White Lions alone as although I jeff's spearmen somehow hold my general will get flank charged by Korhil, I figure with everything I got on that one unit, If I can break I get what I deserve. As mention my Knight over ran into the other unit of rallied spearmen and my greatswords move toward the white lions, I have no targets for Magic or Shooting, holding back units to score table quarters. In the close combat phase, my knights kill those remain Spearmen they overan into to the man and I do break the other unit of spearmen causing it to run again...I pursue with every one and my General catches them, it also moves my Swordsmen past the White Lions so they cant see them for the next turn and take my remainin flagellants off the table and out of the game.


Turn 6- High Elves

The High Elves last licks, Korhil and his remaining White Lions charge my Greatswords and his Bolt Thrower takes it's last shot using multiple shots and scores two wounds on my Wizard - killing him, His remaining archers shoot at something but I can't remember what. In final close combat we kill a few models and I cant remember how it ended but one of us either made the break test or it was a draw- game over.

Scores-

The Empire-
+ 1812 in units
+ 700 supplemental
( 4 banners, 2 table quarters, enemy general slain)

High Elves-
+623 in units

Result + 1889 for the Empire- Massacre!

A tough, tough game for jeff, everything that could have wrong for him did, losing his General and Silver Helms in turn 2 was the worst luck ever, despite some fluky crap rolls my dice were average to good, and given that my units performed as they should. The White Lions, are a very impressive unit, I hammered them every chance I could every round and at the end of the game there were still hanging in there, Without the shit dice- If Jeff have had two chariots on that left side instead of that second mage, it would have been a whole different game. Thanks for great game Jeff, I look forward to the next one.