Warhammer Fantasy Battle Report summary:-
"Draggavir laughed as his men began butchering the daemons" (maps and good narrative)| source : druchii.net | credit : Mr_Styrofoam | 7-Jan-2009 |
Kopra Kar examined the situation before him. Although his foray into Ulthuan had been succesful, netting himself a large slave bounty, a vicious storm had wrecked many of his vessels and blown the others off course. His remaining ships were now anchored offshore a few miles behind him, and he had set out into the unknown land alongside his trusty dark riders. His second-in-command, a headstrong young noble by the name of Luthul, trotted up to him on his elven steed.
"The stench of death is on the wind, my Lord. I know not what foul place we have been resigned to."
"It matters not," Kopra Kar replied grimly. "We must find enough wood to rebuild our damaged ships and then we shall be on our way. What of the slaves?"
Luthul shrugged. "The executioners were watching over them when I left; I don't anticipate any problems."
"Good. We cannot afford this mission to be in vain. Tell your men to-"
The dismal clouds opened up with a flash and a bang, as pink fire began to spin in the sky. The Dark Elf nobles restrained further talk as they watched the barren plain before them begin to fill with shadowy figures.
"It appears we are not welcome here," Luthul noted airily.
"Return to the ships and assemble the troops. We'll need any elf of fighting strength." Kopra Kar's orders were silently acknowledged and the dark elves quickly turned tail and made for the coast.
This battle was a regular pitched battle between my newest list and the evil forces of chaos. Here are the lists used:
Dark Elves Army List
(edition 6 army book)Kopra Kar, Highborn - 238
Draich of Dark Power
Hearstone of Darkness
HA,SDC,Shield
Luthul, Noble - 197
BSB: Hydra Banner
Dark Steed, HA, SDC
Rashanti, Sorceress - 175
Darkstar Cloak, Seal of Ghrond
Azune, Sorceress - 182
Tome of Furion, Dispel Scroll
Dark Steed
17 Corsairs - 220
FC, Warbanner
5 Dark Riders - 127
RXBs, Mus
5 Dark Riders - 127
RXBs, Mus
5 Dark Riders - 97
Mus
10 Warriors - 120
RXBs, shields
10 Executioners - 122
Champion
6 Cold One Knights - 192
Champion
6 Harpies - 78
2 RBTs - 200
10 Black Guard - 174
Champion
Total: 2249, 84 models, PD 7, DD 5
Hordes of Chaos Army List
(edition 6 army book)Chaos Lord - 475
Sword of Might, Bane Shield, Gaze of the Gods
Chaos Armor, Disc of Tzeentch, Mark of Tzeentch
Aspiring Champion - 241
Sword of Battle, Helm of Many Eyes
BSB
Mark of Tzeentch, Chaos Steed
15 Chaos Warriors - 275
Full Command, Mark of Tzeentch
Shields
15 Chaos Warriors - 275
Full Command, Mark of Tzeentch
Shields
15 Chaos Warriors - 305
Full Command, Mark of Tzeentch
GWs, Shields
5 Marauder Horsemen - 70
Spears
5 Marauder Horsemen - 70
Spears
15 Horrors of Tzeentch - 225
5 Chaos Knights of Tzeentch - 235
Full Command
Firewyrm of Tzeentch - 75
Total: 2246, 80 models, PD 12, DD 5
I was not looking forward to his magic phase, with 12 power dice! (from all the units with the mark). I won the roll for table sides and we commenced deployment:
Dark Elves deployment: Dark riders are light blue, corsairs are dark blue (pink is highborn), RBTs are dark blue, executioners are purple, COKs are purple, BG are black, and RXB warriors are teal. harpies are one purple and the rest gray (i got lazy). The BSB is green and the sorcs are also pink.
Chaos deplyment: Warriors are red, warriors with GWs are maroon, horrors are yellow, knights are orange, marauders are brown, spawn is purple, and the lord is yellow.
The last bolt thrower crew member waved back to Kopra Kar, signaling that his deadly warmachine was ready to fire. The highborn nodded and turned his gaze back to the battlefield. The shadowy winds that had enveloped and cloaked his foe's movements were starting to subside, and he could make out quite a number of hulking, armored warriors. The air around them danced crimson fire, and Kopra Kar quietly noted that the magical abilities of this foe were not to be trifled with. He hoped that his sorceresses on the other side of the battlefield were thinking the same thing. With a good defensive position, the dark elf general decided to let the infernal tzeentch warriors make the first move...
Hordes of Chaos Turn 1:
His entire army advanced, even the sporadic spawn plodded 7" forward. Despite having a stupid BSB (helm of many eyes) in his knights, they consistently passed their stupidity checks as did my knights, so I won't mention it further. Magic saw one magic missile cause a single wound on my crossbowmen, but it was saved. With no shooting and no combat, the turn ended.
Dark Elf Turn 1:
I issued a charge with my dark riders containing the BSB at the spawn. They passed their fear check and hurtled into the beast. I moved up everything else except the crossbowmen, RBTs, and COKs. My unit of DRs on the left without RXBs parked themselves in front of the chaos warriors. My magic was ineffective this turn. The DRs with the sorceress fired at the marauders, killing two. The RBT on the right fired a single bolt at the warriors in the middle, skewering three. In the combat phase, the DRs and noble dispatched the spawn and decided to stay put instead of overrunning.
Luthul spurred his steed on, eager to draw first blood against the mysterious foe. His loyal unit of dark riders followed him fearlessly against a hulking monstrosity lurking behind the chaos lines. The creature, obviously not very intelligent, didn't even see the elves coming. Luthul's gleaming sword slashed down savagely, removing a large chunk of the spawn's head. The trusty spears of the dark riders finished the job, and the monster keeled over in a pool of purple blood. Luthul breathed heavily as he halted the unit and turned it around. As barbed elven shafts began to hit the chaos battle line, he felt the adrenalin start to flow in his veins as he looked for his next kill.
Chaos Turn 2:
The chaos responded by charging the DRs on my right with their own fast cavalry, although they only numbered 3 of their original 5. The chaos troops on my right continued to advance towards my lines, while the ones on the left, sensing the trap, stayed put. The lord flew around into a good spellcasting position, and the marauder horsemen on my left prepared to charge the RBT. Magic killed one executioner. No shooting. The DRs did a stand and shoot against the marauders but failed to kill any. The charging marauders killed one DR in the combat, with the DRs claiming one in return. As they were outnumbered, the marauders broke and were run down by the DRs.
DE Turn 2:
I began by charging my black guard into his horrors; no other charges were declared. My DRs encircled the chaos warriors on the left, and the rest of my infantry stayed put. This would later prove to be fatal, as the distance between my corsairs and the warriors was just barely less than 8". Magic was again ineffective, but my shooting was not. The RXBs from the DRs and the RBT on my right flank took down 5 warriors from one unit, and the unit broke and fled from the torrent of fire. The DRs on the left turned in their saddles and shot down 2 of the marauders on the left, although they stubbornly held (drat ! byebye RBT). In combat, the black guard ripped into the horrors, killing three, and then popping one from resolution (he rolled an 8. a 9 would have killed the unit. this would later prove very aggravating).
Draggavir, captain of the black guard, saw the grotesque figures of tzeentch floating towards him. He glanced around and saw the nods of his men, and without a word they hefted their elven halberds and charged as one. Although intimidating, the creatures didn't put up much of a fight. Draggavir laughed as his men began butchering the daemons, cleaving soft flesh and spurting dark blood everywhere. A hail of huge bolts streaked over his head, finding their marks in the warriors rushing to the aid of the daemons. As a third of their number fell to the wickedly barbed bolts, they began to retreat, leaving the horrors at the mercy of the black guard.
Chaos Turn 3:
The turn would be a decisive one for chaos. The marauders on the left charged my RBT, and I learned then that warmachines cannot stand and shoot (uh-oh). With no DRs in the way, the two blocks of warriors just barely made it into contact with my corsairs, the GW-wielding block getting a flank charge (double craap). The fleeing warriors rallied and I think that was it. In the magic phase, he got off the purple fire of tzeentch on my BSB, which forces one character within 6" to take a Ld check or die. It was cast with irresistible force, so I couldn't use my scroll. With Ld 9, I wasn't exceptionally worried. Of course I rolled an 11. Byebye noble. In the combat my highborn challenged the GW-wielding champion and killed him, taking no wounds and getting one overkill. The two units of warriors killed 3 or 4 corsairs, and one warrior was killed in return. The CR ended up with me losing by 3, and failing my Ld check. The whole unit was run down, and my executioners failed their panic check, fleeing as well. The BG/horror combat saw three more horrors claimed by the BG halberds. The marauders dispatched the RBT.
DE Turn 3:
With no nobles left and down a large block of infantry, things were looking grim. The executioners rallied however, and the DR were now able to perform a rear charge on the group of warriors on the left without GWs, although it would be considerably less effective without their hydra-banner toting noble. The other unit of DRs moved nearer to the marauder horsemen, and their RXBs finished off the unit. The DRs on the right maneuvered more, and the COKs still decided to stay put, wary of the chaos knights opposite them. (This too proved to be a bad choice, as I misjudged another crucial distance) However, the DR combat went well, and I broke and ran down the formerly victorious warriors, avenging the highborn and corsairs.
Kopra Kar braced himself for the impact of the chaos warriors. Although eerily silent, they moved with a purpose, quickly closing the distance between them. The highborn spotted a warrior bearing a large icon of tzeentch, a good foot taller than the rest of the warriors. Kopra Kar levelled his gaze at the champion, and the warrior immediately locked his beady red eyes back on the elven leader. As the chaos warriors crashed into Kopra Kar's men, the vicious chaos weapons claimed a costly toll. The highborn nimbly dodged the champions massive axe and spun on his heel, his gleaming draich decapitating the man and sending a gout of blood into the air. He hefted his blade again and sliced the champion from head to toe, reducing him to a pile of bloody chunks. Unfortunately, the noble performance of their leader had not inspired the corsairs, and they began to retreat from the chaos onslaught. Kopra Kar shouted in desperation to keep his men in line, but even the heroic words and actions of their general could not hold them. The highborn sighed and began to run with his men, but before he could take a step, a glimmer of purple fire flashed from the chaos champion's corpse and knocked him to his knees. He cursed the horrible magic of chaos as he felt a barbed chaos sword punch through his ribcage, and everything went black.
Chaos Turn 4:
The chaos knights declared a charge on my COKs, and again thinking there was more ground between them than there actually was, elected to hold. Passing their fear check, they managed to cover all of it and crash into my COKs. The recently rallied chaos warriors on that side finally came to the aid of the horrors, charging the black guard in the flank. The confused warriors with great weapons on the left spun to face one of the DR units, now completely surrounded. Magic did little (maybe killed a DR or two?). In combat, the BG and chaos warriors each lost a man, and two more horrors were cut down. The BG held on stubborn 9. The chaos knights killed two COKs and lost none (champ was challenged by BSB and died), but the COKs held.
DE Turn 4:
The dark elves on the left closed in on the remaining block of warriors. On the right, the DR flank charged the warriors and the harpies miraculously passed their fear check and charged the horrors. The RXB warriors charged the chaos knights in the flank, desperately trying to aid the COKs. In combat the chaos champion challenged the black guard champion. The black guard wounded, but the champion passed his 5+ save and promptly slew the master. One more BG and one more chaos warrior also fell, the DRs failing to do anything. The horrors also decided to pass FOUR 5+ saves and so they were fine too. Grr. Each unit in the COK combat lost a model, but everyone held their ground.
Draggavir looked up from his grisly work to notice another unit of the hated chaos warriors heading towards them. He warned his comrades, and then sought to bolster his side's hopes by felling the chaos champion. He leapt into the air with elven martial prowess and caught the champion by surprise, knocking his weapon from his hands. Draggavir swiftly brought his halberd down on the warriors neck, an easy kill. Or so he thought. The chaos armor miraculously deflected the blow, and Draggavir's halberd shattered on the spiked armor. The chaos champion moved with inhuman speed and grabbed Draggavir and, with a simple motion, snapped the elf's neck with a sickening crunch. The unit faltered momentarily, but they were used to this grisly combat, and renewed their attacks with hatred only a dark elf could know.
Chaos Turn 5:
The only chaos move was to attempt a charge at the DR on the left with the chaos warriors, but I fled (duh) and left them open for the execs and other DRs in my next turn. Chaos magic killed four of the executioners, but they passed their panic check. The combat phase saw the black guard, harpies, and DRs kill the rest of the horrors and a couple more chaos warriors. The chaos retaliation came up short, and the warriors fled, only to be run down by the DRs. In the COK combat, two more COKs and one RXB warrior fell, the chaos knights losing no one. Both units fled, the COKs leaving the battlefield, and the warriors making it to within an inch of the edge. The chaos knights reformed facing the RBT.
DE Turn 5:
The DRs and executioners slammed into the rear of the chaos warriors, while the rest of my army moved towards the chaos knights on the right. In the combat, two warriors fell while not a single dark elf was lost, and the warriors broke and were run down. The RBT fired rubber bolts against the chaos knights, failing to kill any, and the RXBs of my troops were similarly ineffective.
*Nothing interesting enough for a narrative*
Chaos Turn 6:
The chaos knights charge and kill the RBT. The chaos lord charges a unit of DRs, who flee (big surprise). Nothing else happens.
DE Turn 6:
After failing the charge against my DRs, the lord is in prime position for a charge by my executioners. What the hell, I send them in. Out of four attacks, one hits, and I roll a 6 for a killing blow. He fails his 4+ ward. Bye bye 475 pt lord. My magic phase sees two steal souls cast successfully against his BSB, and he goes poof. No shooting does anything to the chaos knights and i'm not in charge range with anything but the harpies. I decide to let the harpies live.
As Vadrolir drew his draich out of a chaos warrior's fresh corpse, a magical disc whirred by his head. Eager for another foe after slaughtering the warriors, he urged his executioners forwards to confront the disc-riding lord. He had heard stories of the martial prowess of chaos lords, especially those blessed by the magics of the chaos gods, but he had a burning feeling in his gut compelling him to advance. The godly chaos lord turned as he sensed the elves bearing down on him. He scornfully watched the elves lift their draichs. Perhaps a bit too scornfully. The force of the first blow rocked his floating disc, and the lord stumbled. That was the only opening Vadrolir needed, and he struck, two flashes of silver streaking through the grey sky. The separated head of the chaos lord fell to the ground, and visible magical energies seeped from both the lord's body and his mount, the red fires of tzeentch circling upward back towards the chaos gods where they originated. The dark elves left on the battlefield saw the awe-inspiring spectacle and quickly made their way to the body of the chaos warlord. Vadrolir stood high over the body of his foe.
"Many of our heroes have fallen today, but yet we remain strong. We have defeated our enemy and kept our slaves from falling into the hands of chaos."
Vadrolir drew his draich from its scabbard and hoisted it in the air in triumph, the rest of the dark elves immediately recognizing Kopra Kar's famous weapon. They cheered their new hero on, confident that he would lead them back to Naggaroth and to riches. And maybe if they were lucky, some witch elves ;)
Victory Points
VPs: Dark elves win by 829, giving me a solid victory.
MVP: Dark riders
Honorable mention: Black guard
Battefield Lessons:
LEARN TO GUESS DISTANCES BETTER! I lost the corsairs and highborn, and subsequently the cold one knights, because I overestimated how far away the enemy was. Stupid stupid stupid.
RBTs cannot stand and shoot. oops...hehe
Black guard are my new favorite unit, as well as the hydra banner noble
Luck ends up balancing out. After failing every 6+ save I had to make (probably around 10-12 of them, b/c of strength modifiers), I managed to roll a 6 on my wound roll against the chaos lord and net an extra 500 VPs. Vengeance is sweet.
Thats about it for now. Hope you guys enjoyed reading!
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