Vampire Counts vs. High Elves

TERRAIN: Terrain was randomized as BRB 8th page 142. My oppoent won the first placement roll. We replaced any magical structure with simple impassable stones. Terrain placement order was following:

- Tower

- Building

- Hill on left

- Impassable stone

- Fence near tower

- Fence near building

- Hill on the right

- Forest

- Hill on the left

DEPLOYMENT: My opponent won both table edge and first drop. Deployment order was following:

- Grypt Ghouls

- White Lions

- Grave Guards

- Silver Helms

- Vargulf

- Archers

- VC characters

- Rest of the High Elves

Necromancer generated ( 3 and 4->sig ) so he had Invication of Nehek and Gaze of Nagash

Vampire Lord generated ( 1, 2->sig,, 3->raise dead, 5), So he had Invication, Danse Macabree, Raise Dead and Curse of Years

Archamage genearted (2,4->sig,5,6) Se he had Miasma, Enfeeble Foe, Pit of Shades and Okkamz Mindrazor.

My opponent won the first turn

Magic WoM (4+2) +1 DD

- Gaze of Nagash to Swordmasters 2PD (7) failed

- Dance Macabre 1 PD (7) 1 DD dispelled

- Curse of Years to White Lions 3 PD (9) 4 DD dispelled

Frosthearth Phoenix charged Vargulf. Archmage backup up a little to get out of balefires range.

Magic: WoM 3+1

- Miasma on ghouls 2 PD (15) succesfully decreased 3 movement from the ghouls

- Enfeeble Foe on Vargulf 2 PD (14) 3 DD failure. Decreased strength by 1.

Shooting: One ghoul was killed from combined archers and chariot shots.

Close Combat:

Frost Heart managed to score 2 unsaved wounds to Vargulf. Weakened vargulf couldn't punch through Phoenix thick hide and was crumbled dust.

Grave Guards could barely see Chariot and declared charge to it. It fled. Fortunately White Lions passed their panic. Ghouls tried long charge (only on double 6). They still were rather vigorous as they moved total 6 inches forward.

Magic 6 + 4

- Gaze of Nagash to Swordmasters 2 PD ( 11 ) dispelled on 3 DD

- Curse of Yeaars to White Lions 3 PD ( 19 ) No dispell attempt, 4 of the most old Lions died.

- Raise Dead 3 PD ( 14 ) 13 Zombies rise to block Silver Helms

- Danse Macabree to Ghouls 2 PD ( 10 ) Dispelled on 3 DD

Silver Helms charged the summoned zombies. One died due dangerous terrain. Frosthearth charged Grave Guards flanks. Both White Lions and Swordmasters did charge Ghouls. Chariot failed rally and almost ran off board.

Magic: WoM 3+1

- Enfeeble Foe to Grave Guards 2 PD, Failed dispel on 3 DD. Grave Guards strength was reduced by 1.

- Dispel attempt on Curse of Years 2 dice, Failed -> 8 lion died.

No shooting

Close Combat:

- Silver Helms killed zombies and reformed.

- Lions and Swordmasters killed (with attacks and crumble) total 22 ghouls. Unfortunately ghouls managed to kill 8 swordmasters and 2 lions in return.

- Frosthearth killed total 10 (with attacks and crumble.). They failed to reform.

Turn analyze:

- I don't know why I though Curse of Years were cast 9 ( t. Though that it is fairly easy to dispel with 8 dices ( not that rolling 8 with 2 PD BoH isn't that bad). One of the reason Why I wanted to reduce str from grave guards were the possibility for overrun for White Lions. They would have needed (if my memory serve right roll of 6 to succesfull overrun and another round of combat. At this moment I think miasma with reducing weaponskill would have being better as it would have only needed 1 to reduce gg to hit both wl and phoenix with 4+ (the had barrow banner) and 1 for vampire to hit -1 and on roll of -2 vampire would also hit lions on 4+. That would have being food spell to one dice and then attempt curse

- It was also really nice for my opponent to score so many wounds on swordmasters. It really helped him to survive the battle.

! I placed my "Regain" marker (which were green plus) on the table and I didn't realize that I have new computer and seems that my "backup copy" from old computers chronicler didn't include those ones.. Funnily it did include the background, the building and most other. And now for some reason it doesn't reset at all. there is only those red areas, and even if I did reset turn they stayed there....... Don't mind them :D !

Corpe Cart Moved so that it were 6 inches from both unit.

Magic: 4+3 +1 DD

- Invvication of Nehek from necromancer 2 PD (6) dispelled on 1 DD

- Dance macabre to grave guards 2 PD ( 8 ) Allowed

- Invication of Nehek from Lord 3 PD ( 17 ) failed on 4 DD it healed 10 grypt ghouls and 9 grave guards, also granted always first strike to both units. (remember at this moment the lord was almost right next to corpse cart. it only reformed after combat)

- Curse of years killed 6 lions (phef)

Close combat:

- Vampire Lord attemted to come at Frosthearth phoenix, but failed to do any wounds on it. In return Phoenix did 2 wounds on him and scored couple more from Stomps. Again total 10 died, but my opponent managed to reform.

- Always First striking ghouls killed one swordmaster and 4 lions. In return they killed punch of ghouls, but it wasn't enough.

Turn Analyze:

- This was one of those terrible decisions. Let go curse of years on 4+ or deny invication + asf at all cost. I placed my priority on healing, though that even with losing half lions I could make enough damage from the remaining that his ghousl simply crumble to dust. This was one of the times that I realized why my opponents really hate High Elves. Striking usually first is just neat :D Thank fully my opponent didn't cast dancse macabre to ghouls. They would have being insane with rerolls to hit

!Apparently those bloody red areas continued to another turn... don't mind them again.!

Silver Helms could just barely draw line of sight to corpse cart and attempted long charge ( 9 ) it was enough. Tiranoc Chariot rallied

Magic: WoM 5+1

- Dispel Curse of Years 4 PD

- Miasma 2 PD dispelled

- Dispelled enfeeble foe from Grave Guards

Close Combat

- Silver Helms feared and almost couldn't kill the cart. Luckily horsies were enough to punch and crumble it to dust.

- Always Striking first ghouls struck swordmasters and lions down

- Frost Phoenix managed to kill Vampire lord (crumble did do couple wounds on ghouls but none on grave guards. Grave guards did 2 wounds on phoenix and it broke. Guards attempted to restrain pursuit but failed and failed to catch the frostie.

Turn Analyze:

- Oh boy I though my days were numbered, but with the loss of general and another vampire lore user my odds turned to my favor.

6 Ghouls died due crumble and no damage for guards. Ghouls managed to charge right in flank of silver helms (bad placement after killing the necromancer.

Silver Helms feared again, failed to do any damage and lost due static. They still managed to elude ghouls touches.

Lore: Archmage saw crumbling undeads and forced his archers to take the position behind the fence. "For Ulthuan" he roared. Mage was blinded with futile glory and wanted to feel the thrill of melee

Both phoenix and Silver Helms rallied.

Magic: WoM 2 + 1

- Upgraded Miasma on Grave Guards 3 PD, failure on dispell (all stat reduced by 1)

Shooting caused couple wounds.

Grave Guards crumbled a bit and did glorious charge.

Ghouls died against silver helms.

Grave guards managed to kill Archmage in close combat.

(irl picture is little off, my magnetized bird has turned other way around)

Final charge! Total anhilation (this was actually illegal, as I couldn't bring them all to combat. But it really didn't matter much.

Final score 1624- 975

Game Analyze:

- Eventhough I told much to my opponent why I did this and why I did that, and reflected that ok, if you place your unit like that overrun will be like that etc. I think he played really really well. I am also happy to tell that we are supposed to play again in next saturday ( 12.12.2015) 2400 point game and he is going to do own list and we are going to do it hidden. I will probably go with my High Magic list to see how it fares his choices.

- I was really happy on the corpse cart performance. The sole reason why I took it to these list is to give significant ability to tackle one of the best abilities of High Elves. This was the first time it worked on practice.

- Curse of Years were also really neat spell something that usually my opponents haven't used. (we tend to be more utility and augment players than damage dealers :D )

Lore:

Foolish Archmage was slashed in to pieces by Grave Guards relentless great weapons. The badly beaten forces scattered quickly and tried to reform with the rest of Loriels army. This was a mere skirmish in the tide of war, the real battle will happend soon when Loriels main Army will face the undead forces!