Alamo GT 2031: Round #4 - High Elves

For the start of Day 2, I would be facing off against Shayne Wharton and his High Elf army. Shayne's army was a pretty standard High Elf list - not fully optimized, but also not weak. His list included:

• Loremaster of Hoeth (330 pts) (General, Armor of Caledor, Dawnstone, Dispel Scroll, great weapon, heavy armor)
• Archmage (295 pts) (Level 4, Lore of High Magic, Book of Hoeth, Gem of Sunfire)
• Noble (346 pts) (Battle Standard Bearer, Ring of Fury, Golden Crown of Atrazar, Enchanted Shield, lance, dragon armor, Griffon)
• Spearmen (341 pts) (34 models, full command, Gleaming Pennant)
• Silver Helms (146 pts) (6 models, musician and standard bearer)
• Silver Helms (146 pts) (6 models, musician and standard bearer)
• White Lions of Chrace (336 pts) (22 models, full command, Banner of the World Dragon)
• Frostheart Phoenix (240 pts)
• Frostheart Phoenix (240 pts)
• Great Eagle (50 pts)

This is an interesting army that included fast, anti-chaff units like the silver helms with a strong combat unit in the white lions. The army also had great combat potential in the spearmen with a Loremaster nearby and a combo-charge by one of Shayne's two (2) Frostheart Phoenixes.

Seeing Shayne's army across the table, I wasn't too worried. When I built my army, I expected to face High Elves and so designed the army with the frostheart and white lion units in mind. In particular, my assassin and lord were put into the army to kill these evil beasts. The lord's weapon would always be striking at an unmodified strength of 6, so even though I would strike last, I would have a very good chance to wound and/or kill the monster. I also had a decent number of ways to deal with the white lions including two strength 5 (hopefully) breath weapons.

Round 4 was the scenario with the special cannon. Knowing how much fast chaff I was bringing, I knew that I would be able to kill my opponent's cannon before the end of the game. Thus, I just had to worry about keeping mine alive.

Pre-Deployment:
Shayne and I rolled off for spells. His Loremaster, of course, started with all the signature spells of all eight normal lores. His Level 4 of High Magic ended up with soul quench, arcane unforging, drain magic, and apotheosis.

My metal mage luckily rolled Final Transmutation (take that White Lions!) and defaulted to Searing Doom (wanted to kill the Silver Helms as early as possible to give me movement control), while the Level 4 rolled Soulblight, Spirit Leech, caress, and doom and darkness. I then won the roll for deployment, chose the side my army was already on, and began to array my forces for battle.

Deployment:
For my deployment, I deployed hard on both flanks while leaving only the crossbow units, mages, and RBTs in the center. On the left flank I deployed my lord, a unit of Dark Riders, a hydra, the harpies and the cauldron (extending the re-roll range to all those units). On the right flank was another hydra, dark riders, and the special magic cannon.

One long line of deployment.












Shayne deployed a little more in the center of the board.

One unit of Silver Helms and one Frostheart Pheonix deployed on my left flank. But as you can see, I was able to deploy my shades behind the infinitely tall hill to disrupt his flank.









The rest of his army deployed in the center with the Spearmen and White Lions forming a solid core with his characters and other phoenix behind those units. His cannon was also protected by the Silver Helms on the right flank.








I won the roll of to go first, and began my evil cunning plan of killing phoenixes as fast as possible. To that end, all of the dark rider units vanguarded forward to bring their xbows to bear.

Turn #1: Dark Elves
I started my turn with hard pressure on both flanks. On the right flank, I swung up a hydra and a unit of dark riders to head for his cannon.

Solid pressure on the right flank. Note, the dark riders are ready to swing around next turn if the silver helms move.










On the left flank, I moved up the dark riders and the lord to see the center of the board. I also moved up the other hydra to stare down the White Lions, sure to stay out of their maximum charge range.

The shades and assassin jumped up onto the hill, staying just outside of base movement range for both phoenix and the silver helms.















In the magic phase, I was able to get off Doom and Darkness on the White Lion unit. My hope here was to kill one of the creatures within 6" of the unit (either the eagle, the BSB on griffon, of the phoenix) and panic the unit.

In the shooting phase, my special cannon targeted the phoenix and BSB. As you can see from the picture below, I had a good line on both creatures. Unfortunately, the cannon overshot the phoenix, but did manage to hit the BSB on Griffon. I put three wounds on the griffon, but failed to wound the BSB. Drat! The rest of the Dark Elf shooting was a little bit better. I killed 2 Silver Helms on the right flank with the dark riders, and put two wounds on the phoenix on the left flank with the assassin. I fired both rbts (single shot) at the phoenix in the center, but failed to cause a wound.

Turn #1: High Elves
Shayne started his first turn with a double charge on the shades from both the Silver Helms and the phoenix. Because the phoenix was already wounded (but not enough to have a high chance of killing it on the stand and shoot), and because I knew my assassin would be striking before the phoenix, I opted to stand and shoot at the Silver Helms to see if I couldn't kill a few of them on the way in. Luckily, I killed four off the unit before it made it into combat.

That is going to be one nasty charge! Let's see how the assassin does in combat against the phoenix.











While the left flank was engaged in combat, the right flank moved cautiously. The Silver Helms moved to block the Dark Riders from seeing the cannon while the cannon stared directly at the hydra. In the center, the White Lions marched straight forward towards the other hydra while the phoenix and spearmen moved up slightly to support the lions if needed. The BSB stayed within range of all units.

Shayne's magic and shooting was ineffective, failing to kill a single model.

In combat, we had the might of the phoenix and 2 silver helms versus the shades and assassin.
This is going to be one epic brawl!

The assassin managed to do 2 more wounds to the phoenix (leaving it with a single wound left) and the shades brought down one of the silver helms (giving me combat resolution of 3). The High Elves, however, killed all six shades between attacks and stomps (giving Shayne combat res of 7 as there is no banner in the silver helms). Luckily, as the assassin was now by himself, I was testing on a 6 which was luckily passed!



Turn #2: Dark Elves
I started my second turn by charging the Dark Riders on the left flank into the lone Silver Helm. I flew my lord over the White Lions to try and get at either the cannon or the other phoenix. In the center, both xbow units moved up to see the White Lions and the hydra on the right flank swung over to add his presence to the mix. On the left flank, the other hydra moved towards the White Lions, careful to stay out of their line of sight.

The strong shooting center pressed forward.













A poor roll for winds of magic roll and some good dispels saw all of the Dark Elf spells (including Doom and Darkness) dispelled.

In shooting, the army fared little better. The magical cannon failed to wound the BSB on griffon and the rbts only managed a single wound on Shayne's cannon. The combined shooting of all other xbows only accounted for 2 White Lions. It was starting to look like taking that unit down was going to be especially difficult.

In combat, the assassin killed the phoenix. The Dark Riders also killed the Silver Helm and overran off the hill.

Turn #2: High Elves
Having lost his left flank, Shayne reforms his White Lions to face the Lord, giving the hydra the units rear. I am sure Shayne did this because he thought the hydra would not live to make the charge, or if he did, would not live to inflict much damage with all those strength 6 attacks. Plus, I wasn't going to charge the unit while I still had a perfectly good breath weapon (at strength 5) to use. The BSB and remaining phoenix jockeyed for position while the spearmen faced the dark riders on the left flank.

Magic saw the death of the assassin to combined magic missiles, but he had done his part in killing a phoenix, so I was happy. Shayne's cannon hit the hydra by the white lions, but I passed my regeneration roll and the hydra came through unscathed.

Turn #3: Dark Elves
I started the turn by charging my lord at the cannon, but failed to make the charge despite only needing an 8 on three dice. The lord them shambled forward three inches, putting him only about 5 inches away from the white lions.

This is a picture of immediately after failing the charge. That was one big unit aimed at my rear with a lot of options from the BSB to push me off the board if I choose to flee the incoming charge next turn.

Knowing this, I moved the hydra into breath weapon range (and within range of the BSB's charge). I also moved all xbows I had (except for unit on right flank) within short range of the White Lions.



In the magic phase, I attempt a boosted searing doom at the remaining phoenix, but failed. The remainder of the Dark Elf spells are dispelled.

In shooting, with the combined might of a strength 5 breath weapon and all the xbows I could bring to bear, I kill 16 White Lions! This drops the unit to a much more manageable number for the later turns, but still gives them enough models to possibly kill my general.

Turn #3: High Elves
Shayne takes the smart charge and sends the white lions into the rear of my general. Even with the low numbers, he is up 4 on combat resolution alone (charge, rear, banner). I hold, because I didn't think I would be able to make it out of the last phoenix's or his griffon rider's maximum charge range or line of sight.

He charges the griffon rider into the hydra on the left flank, who easily makes combat while the phoenix flies towards the other hydra and my xbowmen. He then turns the spearmen around to face the combat.

Magic sees an attempt to destroy my lord's magical items dispelled, but his initiative is lowered by 2. Shayne's magic cannon hits and rbt and takes it off the board in a single shot.

In combat, Shayne declares a challenge with his loremaster in an attempt to prevent me from killing the remaining white lions. Shayne fails to push through a wound on my lord, but makes all of his 2++ saves for my lord's magical weapon. However, the dark pegasus manages to push through a single wound. I end up losing the combat by 3 and pass the general's subsequent break test. However, I then promptly fail the reform test at -3, twice! Thus, my general is stuck with the white lions in his rear for another turn and another +2 combat resolution.

In the combat with the hydra, the griffon rider caused three unsaved wounds. The hydra then broke from combat, but successfully outran his sweet-footed pursuer.

Turn #4: Dark Elves
Having no charges worth making, I moved to try and protect my lord and set up for the final turns. On the right flank, the Dark Riders continue to move around the silver helms to see the cannon. On the left flank, the other Dark Rider unit also moves to see the cannon. In the center, the xbows make sure that they are out of charge range from the phoenix while still being able to see the griffon. The fleeing hydra rallies and turns to face the griffon rider.

Magic saw searing doom once again dispelled by the High Elves while Doom and Darkness is successfully cast on the white lions.

In the shooting phase, the combined might of the xbows managed to do another 2 wounds to the griffon, leaving it with one left (it had healed earlier in the game). My magical cannon, aiming at the phoenix, misfires and blows itself up. Leaving me with no way to get the bonus objective points.

In combat, the general and loremaster continue their challenge. Once again, the loremaster fails to push a wound through the lord's magical armor. Similarly, the lord fails to put a wound on the loremaster with his 2++ save. The Dark Pegasus, however, manages to kill the loremaster between its attacks and stomp! The dark elf general then passed his break test. (Though I did forget to test to reform at this point)

Turn #4: High Elves
Taking opportunity where it is given, Shayne charged the spearmen block into the flank of my lord to add some much needed combat resolution. Personally, I don't think I would have done this as it allowed me to take all my attacks at the much easier to kill spearmen rather than the 2++ save white lions. The griffon rider also charges the wounded hydra, seeking to kill the creature once and for all. Finally, the phoenix flies over to see my two units of xbows.

High Elf magic is ineffective as I easily dispel all his spells. Shayne's shooting, however, manages to take off my last rbt.

In combat, the combined might of the spearmen and white lions managed to push through a wound on my lord, as I finally roll a 6 on the pendant save. My general, in turn, kills six spearmen. I lose the combat do to a musician, but easily pass the break test. Over in the hydra combat, the griffon rider kills the hydra outright and turns to face the xbows.

Turn #5: Dark Elves
I charge the unwounded hydra into the front of the spearmen, looking to break the unit in a single turn. The xbows all turn to see the griffon rider and the phoenix.

With a combination of magic and shooting, I kill the griffon and the BSB. I also put three wounds onto the phoenix.

In combat, all attacks against the hydra and the lord are saved. In return, the hydra, including his breath weapon, kills all but 12 spearmen. The lord accounts for another few and the dark pegasus kills a white lion. However, both units are steadfast (barely) and pass their break tests.

Turn #5: High Elves
The game is going pretty fast at this point. The phoenix charges the flank of the hydra, hoping to kill it before it can kill the spearmen. High elf magic is shut down and the magical cannon kills a dark rider.

In combat, the phoenix puts 2 wounds on the hydra, but all other attacks are saves. In turn, the hydra directs all attacks, including stomps at the spearmen killing the whole unit. The lord and dark pegasus take on the white lions and kill one more model leaving the unit no longer steadfast. Both the white lions and phoenix fail their breaktest and the white lions are run down. At this point Shayne calls the game. I end up with a win, but no objective points because my cannon blew itself up.