Battle Report- Empire Vs Wood Elves V

2250 points @ plastic legions HQ 1/15.

Ok, you knew it was coming, Empire VS Wood Elves round FIVE!!! Its been a few months since Felix has come over for a game, This was the highest army point game we've played yet, and he dropped the Wood Elf bomb on me. Completely changing his previous tactics, Felix brought some new units to table including a Treeman and a group of Warhawk Riders and finally busted out that large group of Eternal Guard led by a High Noble we had been talking about, Thankfully this was just a casual game, because I got my ass handed to me.

Army List- Wood Elves

Wood Elf Highborn -Army General
Hand Weapon; Longbow; Great Weapon
The Oaken Armor
Amber Pendant

Wood Elf Noble
Hand Weapon; Longbow; Spear; Light Armor; Shield
Elven Steed
The Helm of the Hunt
Hail of Doom Arrow

Spellsinger
Dispel Scroll
Dispel Scroll

Spellsinger
Level 2 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Longbow
Calaingor's Stave
Dispel Scroll

22 Eternal Guard
Full Command
1 Eternal
1 War Banner

10 Glade Guard

10 Glade Guard

7 Dryads
1 Branch Nymph

7 Dryads
1 Branch Nymph

6 Wardancers
Musician
Bladesinger

4 Warhawk Riders

4 Wild Riders of Kurnous
Full Command
1 Wild Hunter

1 Treeman
Total Roster Cost: 2239

The Empire
(same 2250 list I've run in last several bat reps, with exception of moving my Spearmen detachment over to my Greatswords. I'll leave the full list off to save space)


Terrain and Deployment-

Instead of placing terrain we decided to use the small village around a watchtower set up I already had in place on my 4x8 table. I knew this would hinder me because I had no hills to set artillery up on but I figured the cover provided by all the buildings was fair trade off for both of us..The terrain setup definitely added an extra challenge to the mix. While my deployment was pretty standard, a strong center with a fast strong flank, my other usually weak flank was solidifed by my General, in retrospect I really needed him on the strong flank. My artillery was setup with cannons on each flank with a nice diagonal lane across the table I couldn't find a place to put my Hellblaster so I put in the center where it only really could protect the backfield until late game. In retrospect should have put my Hellblaster on the left to protect that cannon, and put my General on the right to counter balance the Wood Elves Left flank. Felix had his Skirmishers and shooters in the center, his fast flank with the Wild Riders and Warhawks backed up by both SpellSingers on his right and his Eternal Guard, General and Treeman on his left.






Magic Selection-


Felix didn't have the normal heavy duty magic I am used to with his Elves, he came to play with only 5 power dice and 4 dispel dice. I totally screwed up in my spell selection as I choose lore of fire rolled a 3 and 5, "burning head" and "conflagration" with only four power dice I always need to take fireball as that can be cast on 5+, so I can roll 3 dice for the big spell and then still have shot at getting the fireball off. I should have take burning head at 8+ and fireball at 5+ and been able to have great chance of getting two spells off a turn with priests bound spell, he off been hard pressed what to dispel. I knew how awesome "Conflagration" can be so I haphazardly took it not thinking about the dice mechanic of 11+. Stupid..I screwed myself on the magic phase before the game even began- lesson learned. Felix spells, were Tree Singing x 2, Hidden Path, and Aerial's Blessing.

Misfire!!!
Before I start the turn by turn, I want to note that my Artillery all game was a trainwreck. My cannons rolled 1 primary misfire and 4 secondary misfires, One cannon was was spiked in turn 2, my other blew up in turn 4 so out of 10 total rolls, 50% were misfires. With my Hellblaster I only had, a target twice..1st time I rolled a misfire in turn 2, then a jam. when I got another chance to fire it in turn 4 I rolled a misfire, then a dud, then another misfire, jammed. so I rolled 100% Misfires on the HBVG. you only have a 1 in 6 chance of rolling a misfire WTF!!! I say.

Turn 1-

I had 1st turn and moved my foot sloggers up, tried to cast "Conflagration" failed. Then shot my artillery, I killed a couple dryads with cannon fire 1st turn, I then nailed one of the warhawks with some long range from my Crossbows. On the right my plan was to run my Pistoliers up on an angle get a volley off at the EG, then retreat from a charge, allowing my knights to charge the flank of the EG next turn., well my pistoliers where short on the shooting by about 1/2 an inch. (with 16 inch charge, I should be 8 inches from the deployment line, unfortunatley felix must have deployed slightly back from the line) during Felix's turn he moves his treeman up into the forest and unleashes "strangleroot" at my pistoliers obliterating them completely, felix rolled 10 hits and 6 wounds...this was precursor to felix's insane dice rolling, it literally seemed like he only rolled 5's and 6's all game. he used tree singing to move up some forests containing his wizards and wild riders, the warhawks and dyrads advanced and the glade guard started raining arrows on me. First turn I took roughly a dozen casualties including my full unit of pistoliers



Turn 2

I continue to advance my foot troops, my swordsmen dont really have anywhere to go and are advancing toward the glade guard, my Greatswords and Spearmen detachment are headed toward both groups of dryads, magic and shooting dont much of anything this turn. My General is just sitting there on his griffon wasting his points, waiting for the Wild Riders and Warharks to advance, I should have been using my General to go straight after both units of Glade Guard, who would have run or been easily destroyed. I'm still not used to using my general as offensively as I need to, he needs to directly start going after weaker annoying shooting units or single characters the first couple turns, forcing my opponent to move a powerful unit to counter him, giving my other offensive units some relief. I blew a good opportunity to test new offensive strategies here, all I can say was my head was not in this game. On the soon to be disastrous right flank my knights are now alone with the treeman looming, I dont want to sit there and take flank charge and turning and running opens me up for another "strangle root", I am still close enought to have to take a terror check, I do and pass. my best option is to charge Felix's lone character, of to the side of his EG, if I kill or break him the overrun or pursuit move will move way into felixs backfield, behind the EG and far away from the treeman. I charge having 7 attacks from the based knights and horses, I roll like complete shit, but still manage to land two wounds, Felix makes one of the saves taking only one wound, I still win combat but he then makes his break test, worst case scenario for me. EG are going to flank charge me and I have the treeman, at my back...my gamble failed- I am toast.

On Felix's turn the EG flank charge my knights, also those wardancers have moved over are now are also in charge range. So my knights take the wardancers in the front and the EG on the flank. I can't flee because I am locked in with the stupid character with one wound left. when the wardancers unload they unleash 22 attacks, felix rolls 11 wounds...Luckily I save a ton of them
but its doesnt matter, on my strike back, I get a few wounds but felix saves them ALL so I lose combat big time needing "insane courage" to stay, I run escape being run down...but my next turn I fail my rally check ( although I forgot my +1 for musician, so I might have made it) and I get charged by the lone character with an 18" charge who just catches me. My Knights and Pistoliers are wasted, neither units removing a single model from the game, disaster.
Elsewhere the Dryads charge my Spearmen detachment, who lose combat, flee and and are run down and destroyed bringing the dryads smack into my Greatswords., The Warhawk Riders charge my crossbowmen, who stand and shoot and land 1 wound, the wild riders charge my cannon, kill the crew, spike it. My Swordsmen change direction heading toward the EG and wardancers all the while being marched blocked shot to crap by Glade Guard, this was stupid on my part.

Turn 3

Finally my General does something, I flank charge the warhawks, but I roll 1,1,2, whiffing but the Griffon and the crossbowmen follow up kill two and land another wound on the last, Warhawks have "hit and run" so the lone model escapes. Felix's Spellcasters are well protected in the forest, magic isnt much of an issue this game as I dispelled alot of spells, Tree Singing was only for movement and I was dispelling Hidden path and the blessing. My spell casting as I mentioned was totally nerfed by my own stupidity and felix and 3 scrolls on top of his dice. ( I did roll an irresistible force on Burning Head against the EG but only managed to kill two models and his made the panic check) My artillery was useless and my Handgunners didnt have a target . My greatswords break the two unit of dryads fighting them, running one down while the other escapes just out of reach.

On Felixs turn the lone warhawk and wildriders re-charge my crossbows, and blow them away, the resulting overrun takes them both off the table, to return on the next turn. My General sits there watching out of the combat (I think we missed the terror check on warhawk, but the WR are immune) The treeman had pops out of the woods moving toward my wizard, swordsman, and free company. (photo below) his glade guard keep shooting me weeding away at my swordsmen. The running dryads rally, The EG and Wardancers start heading my way.



Turn 4- My swordsmen, free company and wizard all need to terror check. the Free Company run the others hold. I fly my General over to help deal with the treeman and my Swordsman marchblocked move to get a line on the treeman next turn. My Cannon has line on the treeman , misfire, blows up, then My Hellblaster gets a second chance this game to fire and at the treeman, I roll misfire, dud, misfire, jammed. (felix is laughing) My greatswords charge the rallied dryads, but my bad dice rolling begins, I can't kill one, I am so annoyed by my crap rolls I forgot about the fact they have hate and I get rerolls on the first turn. This setups a horrible dice rolling streak for me where Greatswords can kills these chumps, my priest gets killed by the branchwraith and felix's dice are so hot he's blowing thru the unit like its free company, not Greatswords and my 4+ save (well 5+ , Dryads S4) might as well be a 12+ the way I am rolling. My handgunners move to fire at the Felix's units coming back on the board.

Felix's turn's his treeman- "strangleroot"s my swordsmen, but I get lucky and take minimal damage, it doesnt matter the glade guard keep hitting and I have lost over 15 swordsmen to missile fire. His mounted noble that I should have killed in turn two, comes up and kills my wizard with some arrow fire and his Wild riders come back on the board moving toward my hellblaster and general while the lone warhawk rider moves back into some the woods. the EG and Wardancers Hold where they are.

Turn 5-

My General charges the treeman, I land four wounds, Felix saves two, but loses combat the treeman runs and I run it down. Lucky but my only break all game. I will take it. My free company rallys, my swordsman turn toward the EG moving up next to a house where they are exempt from the glade guards arrows, My handgunners move again trying to get a target. My wizard gets a spell off at the EG, felix, dispels with scroll., My Greatswords aren't breaking but I can't kill any dryads I can't hit and if I do felix is saving. my free company rallies.

Felix's turn, with all the tree singing "movement only" going on I totally forget about the ranged attack portion of tree singing and my Swordsmen move right into it. The trees unload my two dispel dice left come up empty and I take another 6 causalties, leaving my swordsman with only the front rank of 6 left. The Wildriders run down my Hellblaster, The dryads finish off my Greatswords.


Turn 6-

I realize I am totally screwed here, so I am trying to figure out what I can do my only option is to hold my swordsman take another round of treesinging, and fly my general over to force a terror check, if he fails and runs I'll get points for that huge unit and get the quarter and it probably a close game because the treeman and EG plus the General is around 1000 points, pretty huge gamble but what the hell., My free company runs inside the watch tower to hide and my Handgunners finally get a shot off killing that lone Warhawk Rider.


Felix's last turn pretty much sums up the game. He needs a 10 or less for the terror check and makes it no problem, his EG charges my Swordsman, everyone dies but my BSB who kills 1 EG on the strike back, but loses combat and he needs insane courage fails twice (reroll) gets rundown. The glade guard shoots at my Free Company inside the watchtower and even with the -3 to hit penalty Felix kills 5 of the 8, the unit fails panic...runs more points (he needed sixes to hit and still comes up with five kills) all I had left is my General and my Handgunners. Felix also picked two table quarters and two banners, I got one table quarter. He outscored me
by 1500 and change so the result was Wood Elves- Massacre!!!!!
Great game to Felix and despite my many problems I still learned a hell of a lot this game. I can't wait for the rematch!