1k VS WE

[Jvh792]

This was my first game against Wood Elves, and my first game with the new book. So I made a lot of mistakes. mistakes is magic, movement, list building, you name it, I messed it up.
My army list:
5 Dark riders RXB Muso
10 RXB muso
20 corsairs FC AHW
20 Execs FC
LVL 4 dark w/ scroll

His army list:
29 Glade guard FC
12 Glade guard Muso
6 Treekin
LVL 4 life scroll
Or something close to that... The game was a while ago and I never saw his list, and didn't keep mine.
We roll up dawn of war, and off we go. Newest elves versus oldest elves. FIGHT!

He has me deploy first, I drop the Dark riders on the flank to try and sneak past his lines. He drops his units and it becomes apparent that he is using a "gun" line. So I drop my line accordingly and prepare to rush him.


Move: I win the first turn a march straight towards him hoping to ignore the treekin and get into his big glade guard unit. The plan is to charge them with the more durable corsairs first and have them eat the stand and shoot. The use the exes to clean up.

Magic: I kill 1 of the big unit with chillwind.

Shooting: Dark riders whiffed and the RXB marched.

Combat: Not yet.


Movement: Treekin shuffle trying to not get charged by the execs. The glade guard step up to just within short range to get the S4 bows. Smaller unit turns to deal with the Dark Riders.

Magic: Throne of vines gets through and a regen on the large unit as well. He miscast, but thrones the miscast away.

Shooting: Ouch. Kills 6 RXB and two Dark riders.

combat: none


By now I see that I made a mistake with my Dark Riders and REALLY under estimated the wood elf shooting. So I bring them back and try to get one more turn of usefulness out of them before they die.

Movement: Riders come to charge block. The rest of the army shuffles to set up charges and stay within cover.

Magic: I nuke the BS of the small unit with chill wind killing 3 and getting a miscast. I kill 4 and 2 more with our new lore attribute. 3 of my corsairs die. That ends magic.

Shooting: whiff it all

combat: not yet


Movement: Treekin charge the dark riders, who flee, and he redirects into the corsairs. I thought for a while and decided to flee and use a flank charge on the treekin.

Magic: I let him have +2T on glade guard and dispell a buff to treekin.

shooting: He kills the RXB and an exec (lucky armor saves)

Combat: none

Movement: Forgot to mention the Dark Riders fled off the table with box cars on the flee distance. Corsairs rallied and execs charge the treekin flank.

Magic: He pop scroll and shuts the rest down.

Shooting: all gone

combat: I goof again and accept a challenge thinking, Oh less of my guys will die. But then less of my guys fought as well, so... oops. I win anyways and break them and chase them down.


Movement: He shuffles back but stays within close range for the S4 bows.

Magic: Nothing important

shooting: Ouch again. Kills half the Exec squad

Combat: none


Movement: Execs fail a charge. I knew I was done here. Lose a few more in stand and shoot.

Magic: Tried to big doom bolt the large glade guard. Got a miscast, blew up most of the unit, and got sucked into the warp.

I concede then and there.



The end of the game looked something like this. Pretty terrible showing by the dark elves. He just shot me to pieces and stepped backward every time I got near him.
My biggest mistake was the dark riders. I threw away their first move. I should have used them with the execs to charge in early.
In turn two, when I fled with all my units against a shooty army... I lost the game on that turn because I go backwards, and then do nothing on the next turn. Allows him to focus one unit at a time instead of worrying about 2 units at the same time.
I should have taken life magic, not dark magic, but I wanted to try out the new stuff.
Also, should have taken witches, not corsairs. But wanted to try them as well. 4+ AS 2ATK seemed good at the time.

[Sentarr]

I think your own analysation proved you made some mistakes where u coul've done something else. The only thing i can remind you off is that i think it's best to not instantly think that the list itself needs adjustion. Obviously WE in comparison to corsairs do a lot more damage in close combat but I don't think that versus a shooty army like this fielding them would have made a difference.
The Witches would have been killed more easily for instance.
Try to think about how the match would have played out if you didn't make those mistakes you mentioned and try to improve that for the next game. The outcome could have been completely different is all I'm saying.

Anywayz I loved the batrep and thank you for putting it on the forum. Keep 'em coming!

[Jvh792]

Always happy to know some reads these! Pain to make, but I LOVE when people put them up. I think witches would have been better because I feel they can eat a charge better. I probably wouldn't have fled with witches. Also with frenzy, they don't panic from casualties. Also witches split my threats. Corsairs weren't a threat. I also wish I had taken those RXB and made them into Execs.
I just wasn't confident that the corsairs would be able to take a charge. I think the witches would have had a chance to at least take off one tree man, and that would have given me steadfast against them. They would have killed about 10 or so. Leaving me with just barely being steadfast.

[Daeron]

It's a list that's vulnerable to shooting, facing a gunline. No strategy will make this an easy win. Dice, perhaps. At 1K, you placed your bets on close combat with the "slow" infantry. This puts extra stress on your movement, deployment and cover.

Still the fight could have gone differently. A few ideas:
- You could have placed the DR's in the middle first. Mind, I didn't think the DR's were poorly placed. But it kind of keeps the enemy guessing where you will deploy. It also offers the house for cover.
- Putting the Corsairs in the flank isn't "bad" but I think it's clear that if you had the Exe's stand vs the Treekin it would have been easier to run in. Considering the matchup you needed them for, the Exes should have been placed at the end, in a place fitting the treekin matchup.
- On turn 1, I think you made a mistake by focusing on the large archer unit. I know.. It may sound contradictory. Who wouldn't want to bring down the BS of a large unit like that? But look at the little bugger that really brought you down: that 12 archer support unit. Everything should have gone that way. Without that support unit, you killed the mobility of his list. The DR's could have threatened his glade guard unit from the back.. which would give them quite a chance on breaking it in a single charge. On average, he'd have a -3 or -4 modifier for a break test. If he'd turn the large unit to shoot the DR's, then your troops would move up. At least, all 4 units would have been a threat.

- On turn 2, given the situation, moving the DR back was a mistake. What could they do? They wouldn't be able to redirect the Treekin, unless you'd "stand and shoot"/"Hold" as a charge reaction.. but you didn't

Right there and then, you should have made the choice "sacrifice against the treekin" or "harass the archers". A flank charge on the large glade guard unit could have worked, if you had lined up your DR's differently so they could use the 1 turn in the charge move to dodge the small unit. Keep in mind, they only need the charge distance on the dice. The actual path may be longer. Now there's two interesting things about this: you had a fair shot at winning the combat, or loose it minimally. If he had his sorc on that side, you had a shot at getting a wound on the sorc (whichever you prefer). If the distance was too big, you could still run to the unit's back, wheel the DR's back so they'd face both GG units and could further direct their shots at the small GG unit to attempt a panic test.

You "hesitated" with the infantry blocks. They should have been moving straight for their targets. Optimally the two units would have been swapped out. But given the circumstances, you had either to accept the Corsair vs Treekin matchup and try to buff your troop or get a magic advantage.... or you had to reposition the units before they entered the 15" range of the large GG unit. The Executioners had to wheel and run for the treekin, or swift reform and moved. The Corsairs, with a similar move, should have been able to duck behind them. This would make you a tempting target for a charge and overrun.. but.. Even if the treekin aren't subject to killing blow (I don't know if they are), the executioners would do between 6 to 10 wounds before the treekin would hit (unless magic got in the way, but you had that scroll!). If you did this, I definitely would focused magic on the large GG unit with DR's trying a charge if it's viable or with magic to reduce the BS.

- On turn 3, you fled with the DR's. If you had held your ground, he would have destroyed it.. yup. A pity. But his treekin should have still been in range of the Executioners (were the DR's properly aligned?). He should at least have reformed his unit to make a flank charge difficult from either Corsair or Executioner unit. At this point, you could still charge, buffed with magic, or you could try to simply run past his charge arc.

I sense a lot of hesitation in your strategy. I have it too sometimes. And just like you, I end up losing when I do. Every turn is about making every unit a threat or making no unit an easy target.
But admitted.. for 1K, I'd take a different list or make a house rule not to bring more than 20 missile troops. If anything goes, bring in more filth (he did it).

[Jvh792]

I think you're right about getting the smaller archer unit. If I had magicked them dead, then they wouldn't have been able to nuke the dark riders. And I doubt he would commit that much fire power to 1 tiny unit.
I did the math on the execs and treekin in a straight up fight and it wasn't that good for me. He hits with 9 attacks and wounds with 8. Plus 3 stomp wounds. 11 guys die total.
I hit on 3's and wound on 3 rerolling 1s. 10 hits, 7ish wounds. He get a 5+ ward save also. I lose big and am probably no longer steadfast. That's why I didnt' hold. Even if I kill a tree, he gets only -1.5 wounds to his combat res. Not really worth the risk. I need a flank charge or magical help, and I didn't want to leave the game up to a single magic roll, as he knew I only had one spell to help me win the combat.

The reason I moved the Dark Riders back was that it was too long of a charge into the large glade guard, and the smaller unit of guard would probably wipe them the next shooting phase. He whiffed on his wounds and I got an armor save. I figured, if he charges the corsairs and the dark riders, then he auto fails both charges and I flank him with Execs.
My real problem this game was underestimating the wood elf shooting. Not penalty from moving and shooting and S4 was awful to deal with. Hitting on 3's and wound on 3's.
If I could do this again, I would use the RXB as treekin charge redirectors, and put the combat blocks into the archers at full speed. I would also take Life. Dark was underwhelming to say the least.

[Jvh792]

My next list will be 4 RBT, 20+ RXB w/ shields, LVL sorc scroll, 1 other unit to guard war machines. Maybe just more RXBs.
Been wanting to try out our new RBT and thought with the points reduction they would be good in small point games.
Hide in a corner and make him come to me.

[CreativeName]

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[Jvh792]

I dunno if you saw, but I posted my results with the above list: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=73196
If you wunna check it out, please do and leave some feedback!