Franz versus Von Carstein

Empire Vs Vampire Counts 3000 pts

This game was for round 8 of our Mighty Empire campaign, we aren't close to each other on the map and the game was an open challenge that has no territorial impact on the campaign. This was the first time playing 3K vs VC and it was harder than ever not to mention we where both using special characters, adding a little more difficultly to the match. This more of a battle recap than a full battle report, I just wanted to post the lists and the photos and go over the main details.

Empire Forces

The Emperor Karl Franz -Ghal Maraz - Silver Seal - Warhorse

General of Empire -Sword of Might -Enchanted Shield -Holy Relic -Pegasus

Luthor Huss

Captain of Empire- BSB -Imperial Banner

Warrior Priest -Armor of Metoric Iron - Icon of Magnus

Battle Wizard -Dispel Scroll x 2

28 Swordsman / Full Command
9 Free Company Detachment x 2

10 Handgunners w/ HLR x 2

5 Knights, Musician, Greatweapons

11 Inner Circle Knights/ Full Command - Banner of Valour

19 Greatswords/ Full Command - Banner of Arcane Warding

Great Cannon X 2

Helblaster Volley Gun

Helstorm Rocket Battery

The Vampire Counts

Count Mannfred Von Carstein - Sword of Unholy Power -Book of Arkham -Skull Staff -Nightmare

Vampire BSB -Avatar of Death -Dark Acolyte - The Drakenhof Banner

17 Grave Guard - Banner of the Dead Legion

Vampire Lord -Dread Knight -Red Fury -Walking Death -Dreadlance -Black Peripat -Gem of Blood -Nightmare

Vampire -Red Fury -The Tomb Blade -Flayed Hauberk

17 Skeletal Warriors - Warbanner

20 Zombie Horde

Vampire -Dark Acolyte -Summon Ghouls -Sword of Battle -Cadaverous Cuirass

Corpse Cart

Necromancer -Corpse Cart

20 Ghouls

3 Fell Bats

4 Cairn Wraiths w/Tomb Banshee

The Black Coach


The game was played on my 4x8 table, and the extra room led to a good amount of terrain being on the field. Bill deployed most of his troops tightly packed on his left third of the table while I was spread pretty wide. I had decent lines of shooting for my artillery, most notably my Rocket Battery was all the way down in far corner of the board where it was going to be unmolested for the whole game. I placed my block of troops containing Karl Franz, my BSB, and Warrior Priest dead center so as the VC deployed to my left, I hoped I was in key position for a flanking move.




There were a few highlights in the early game for me, one was getting a perfect Rocket battery shot on target, getting dead center between 3 full units, there close to thirty hits..I maybe scores 15+ kills it was nice but unfortunately a few turns later they had all risen back. I also narrowly avoided a disaster with my artillery as Bill's Fell Bats charged one of my Detachments and I had them flee figuring the failed charged would setup them up a charge from the main block, however my flee roll was a "3" and they got caught meaning the overurn took them straight into my cannon. Thankfully my Handgunners on protecting that board side's flank, could just see enough to wheel in a charge...Bill didn't notice this, and I almost didn't as well since my Handgunners never charge, so you don't think about it. luckly this paid off and the cannon crew held and the bats went POOF. unfortunately things didn't go so well in the Magic Phase.




Games against the VC are all about MAGIC, with Mannfred on board I was facing an uber strong caster, plus every other character was a level 2 caster with only one, Level 1 necromancer. 17 power dice before potential tricks is pretty intimidating, I knew I'd be facing close to that which is why I took the Standard of Arcane Warding (MR 2) and gave it too my Great Swords and Karl Franz's (MR 3) was invaluable...meaning my measly 5 dispel dice had some legs against offensive spells. The problem for me was, Bill was not casting a ton of offensive spells, and when he was my dice and scrolls where about wasted as even if I stopped one, he had someone else that could cast that same spell again, My Knights got wacked with Curse of Years, I saved 3 power dice to dispel it during the top of my magic phase but couldn't hit the damn "8" I needed even with my 1+ armor saves, I still lost 6 knights after two turns before I finally got rid of it. Other than that -all Bills magic was invocations and Dancing for either moves or ASF In short I couldn't stop his magic much at all, so even after I landed my picture perfect charge on Mannfred's unit- Karl Franz's unit on the flank and my Greatswords in the rear...it didn't help because I had some bum rolls during combat. Even thou I won the first combat round handily is wasnt enough to finish off the Grave Guard, and they just got invocated back. I tried to stop his Dance's but couldn't get them all and finally he got his other unit (with his 2nd Lord, a complete killing machine with the Dread Lance and Red Fury) in the rear of my GreatSwords and a unit of ghouls on the flank to boot, With ASF on..I was doomed...My Greatswords took 18 casualties alone (the whole unit, except the champion) Franz and company couldn't come close to enough kills and I lost combat by at least 10 meaning I needed double 1"s even thou I was immune to fear ( icon of magnus) the VC caught everybody Fleeing so it was game over Turn 5's combat res turned the game into a Massacre in his favor.



In retrospect there was a couple things I should have done, I needed to use my knights to block the unit of Skeletons containing his Lord with the Dread Lance, instead I used my Knights to chase down his Cairn Wraiths..whom while only my Warrior Priest could wound them, I thought I could break in a turn with my combat res. Nope bad play..My Knights then got flanked by the maxed out Black Coach tied up and eventually killed. I really needed them to stay alive until the main charges took place and then support. I also wasted way too much time shooting the hellblaster at things like Zombies, who can just be easily invocated back to greater their starting number. finally I wasted Pistoliers trying to get an early break back behind his lines, the wraiths just charged me and they ran off the table, keeping them out of harms way saving them for second half of the game would have been invalauble even as just a distraction.

One of things I love about Warhammer, is there is something new I learn every game, about the army I have been playing for over a year..That always keeps things interesting. As always thanks to bill for a great game..Although the Empire will definitely curse you Von Carstein, until next time!!