As I had to battle against a 2000 point Vampire Count list I had to tailor my 2400 list. The cowboy masters main purpose was to hunt shooting units and charge or redirect small knight units, shades to hunt warmachines. So I merged witch elves to unit of 15 to field the Sisters. Vampire Counts has least shooting of all armies I remembered and big units of undead so I was able to outshoot him. He had 3 mages, vampire lord lvl 3, necromancers lvl 2 and lvl 1, 3 big blocks of infantry, an impressive unit of 6 crypt horrors (main threat) and a Mortis Engine which I did not know was able to. Wardogs, fell bats and spirit hosts which could threaten my shooting.
Initial battle plan was to hold the far hill while misleading enemy that I would place reapers in the middle behind infantry line, and then move infrantry before the hill. Executioners to kill his trolls and ghouls and witch elves to kill remaining infantry, sisters to flank and neglect rank bonuses. I considered my magic weaker than his, so I had to play that well.
Deployment
I start with deploying my dark riders, he responds to the first unit with deploying his wardogs. Warlocks in the centre to doombolt his horrors and after that the ghouls. Sisters deployed to misled my battle plan, joined by witch elves and executioners. I made my first mistake my placing witch elves in the centre and executioners in the right but wanted them to deploy late. Crossbows to take the hill in the middle and as a response to the deployment of ethereal spirit host against my reapers on the hill I placed my peg master on the hill (with in mind that he could hit those ethereals). He places his vampire lord in ghouls, other necromancers in skeleton and zombie horde.
Vanguard
He wins the roll to vanguard and take out possibility for dark riders to take the hill, other dark riders tries to get behind his back. Warlocks advance towards his infantry line. He wins the roll for first turn.
Vampire Counts, turn 1
MovementHe takes the bait of the warlocks with his horrors and advances much further than the rest of the army. Rest of the army marches also, but mortis engine stays behind a little. He advances with his spirits towards reapers but outside peg master charge range. Fell bats hide behind building while wolfs stay where they are.
MagicHe rolled 10 for winds of magic and used 5 dice for an increased damage spell against the warlocks. As I saw no possibility in dispelling it and did not wanted to lose my warlocks so fast I used the dispell scroll. He fails another spell and I dispell the last one. Magic 1 survived !
Shooting No shooting
CombatNo combat
Dark Elves, turn 1
MovementI take the hill with dark riders, other dark riders behind his battle line (although I did not know their purpose there yet). Warlocks retreat, but with one unit I screen the witch elves to protect them against possible magic missile next turn, and I thought it was outside charge range of the Horrors. Crossbows advance towards hill. I did not stick to my avoidance battle plan with the infantry and advanced some. I had to get the executioners to the middle and witch elves to the flank as response to Horrors but wanted to do it next turn. Peg masters stays to protect reapers and charge spirits if they come closer.
MagicI roll a 12 for winds of magic, and cast the improved doombolt with 6 dice on his Horros, he also uses his dispell scroll. I try another improved doombolt but it fails with - 2.
ShootingDark Riders kill 2 wardogs, other dark riders kill 1 skeleton. Reapers on the hill shoot single bolts at Horrors but both miss. Reaper in the middle shoots a single bolt to mortis engine but also misses. Crossbows have no target yet.
CombatNo combat.
VC, turn 2
MovementHorrors charge my warlocks and can even make it to the sisters of slaughter. He suggest I flee as they are fast cavarly (and it was my first game) as he underestimated their combat ability. But then I had to take some panic tests and did not wanted anything to flee to ruin my battle plan so I decided to take the test, and hold. I knew they were going to die, but then witch elves, executioners with Hellebron and sisters could butcher them next turn. He foresaw that and placed his wardogs in front on my executioners to redirect them, hmm bad thing for me... Fell bats take their position to threaten my reapers and spirts advance also. While the rest of the hordes are advancing he turns his Mortis Engine around to shoot on the Dark Riders if they come closer (mission dark riders succeeded).
MagicHe rolls 9 for winds of magic, and uses 3 dice to give his horrors re-roll to hit (I think he expected me to use most dice for dispelling that one) but I let it go through as I consider his magic missiles more dangerous for soft elves. He uses another 3 dice for magic missile which I dispell with all my dice and then he casts his vampire magical vortex on my executioner unit. I fear for the worst, but he only kills 2 executioners. Magic 2 survived again !
ShootingNo shooting as dark riders are still out of range of that Mortis thing (20")
CombatI hit first, fails my fear test. But did not know that you can re-roll all missed hits when ASF and higher I ? I inflict 3 wounds (thank you poison!) and kill one Horror, he smashes them to pulp and overrun into the witch elves. Sisters hold their ground (the rest is frenzy)
DE, turn 2
MovementWhat to do, what to do. Wardogs prevent main combat (executioners) unit to get into the main threat. Then I decide to play according to the theme (see fluff story) that Hellebron is just a crazy biatch wanting to kill and besides that bad ass in combat so I charge her outside the executioners into the remaining 5 Horrors. Pegasus master charged the fell bats. Sisters advance for incoming ghouls, dark riders on the flank retreat back, crossbows advance to shoot the dogs at short range, while other dark riders hold the hill in the middle.
MagicDon't remember the winds of magic, not that high. I dispell the vortex, try a doombolt which he dispells and cast a miasma with 1 dice on the trolls.
ShootingDark riders at the flank kill another skeleton. Dark riders on hill fail to hit anything, same for crossbows (damn those wardogs). In the image they are already dead, so that is a mistake. Reaper in the middle puts a wound on the Mortis Engine, while other two shoot on the ghouls but both misses their single bolts.
CombatPegasus master kills the bat the ease. Hellebron gets crazy and kills 3 trolls, witch elves inspired by their hag queen kill the other two. He does a thunderstomp or something and kills a witch elf and 1 wound on Hellebron in return. Main threat to the army destroyed ! But, Hellebron all alone in the open field. Out of charges yes, but out of magic, not at all.
VC, turn 3
Movement
He charges my pegasus master in the flank with the spirits. Advances with the rest of the army, Mortis Engine tries to follow but still while back to do real damage.
Magic
He rolled 10 for winds of magic and he wanted Hellebron death. Dispelled the first magic missile but the second death snipe he casted was so high that it was impossible to stop it. Without any saves whatsoever she died direct. All units hold their panic test.
Shooting
No shooting
Combat
I fail my fear test with Peg master and don't inflict any wounds. He inflict two but saves them both. Then he discovers I have no magic weapon at all, so is glad I'm stuck for the rest of the game. I don't really mind as the reapers are safe.
DE, turn 3
MovementI charge my witches in his ghouls, sisters in the flank. Executioners can still not do anything because of the wardogs.
MagicI roll 6 for winds of magic and succeed in casting a doombolt on his Mortis Engine and inflict 2 wounds! I fail miasma on the ghouls
ShootingAll reapers concentrate fire on the Mortis Engine and kill it ! It explodes and does all his units strength 3 hits, same for my witch elves, sisters, warlocks and dark riders. It kills 4 zombies, 3 skeletons and 3 ghouls, 5 witch elves, 1 sister, 3 warlocks and 3 dark riders, ai ! But fast cavarly succeed their panic test. Crossbows delete last wardogs (yes !) and dark riders kill another 2 skeletons and 1 zombie. Succesful shooting phase !
CombatI kill 6 ghouls, and inflict 4 wounds on his lord, but he saves them all. In return he kills 8 witch elves (4 by his lord) so it is a draw. Again poison and re-rolls did the job! Sisters also good in combat and wards save saves all returning attacks. Spirit hosts do another 2 wounds on the peg master but he saves them both.
VC, turn 4
MovementHe advances skeletons and zombies but can't charge. Rest of the army is dead or in combat.
MagicHe rolls very low for winds of magic and fails first spell, second is dispelled by me. He said that I was very lucky to kill his Mortis as he could regain all his wounds or something. Magic 4 survived again !
ShootingNo shooting as Mortis died before he could shoot (this turn he would do 2 D6 strength 4 hits)
CombatWitches and sisters kill some ghouls, but he also kills some sisters and all the witch elves (again his lord) but draw again.
DE, turn 4
At this moment we really have to hurry as we are the last table playing and store wants to close.
MovementI charge his skeletons with lvl 1 with dark riders and warlocks, charge zombies witch full unit of dark riders. Charge his ghouls and lord with executioners. Crossbows prepare to charge if needed (knowing this was going to be the last turn).
MagicWe skipped magic phase
ShootingWe skipped shooting phase
CombatThe executioners and sisters combined kill all the remaining ghouls, killing blow on his vampire count but he ward saves it. His vampire count kills 2 ghouls but loses combat and so the count dies ? Dark riders kill necromancer lvl 1 and some zombies, warlocks kill the other necromancer lvl 2 and dark riders both a skeleton. He returning attacks from skeletons and zombies does nothing.
At this point we end the game. His last remaining units are a crumbling skeleton and zombie unit and spirit hosts who is stuck in the peg master. I still have both dark riders, 1 unit of warlocks, executioners, sisters, crossbowmen, reapers, peg master, sorceress.
I lost Hellebron 310 (410), 165 witch elves, 125 warlocks; 700 points, he lost around 1700.
Victory for the Dark Elves !
After game thoughts.I think if I had played better it was possible for me to win with 20 - 0 as I outmanouevred and outshot him and had better combat unit / combinations. If his Horrors came into combat with the frenzied executioners with Hellebron (which was possible because the warlocks draw them into the open) they would have died very soon, same for ghouls and count. I learned that you don't avoid with your infantry in a match like this, even when you outshoot him. You just deploy in the right order and wait for him to come. Warlocks are more than average in combat and really make you more magic resistant due to dispelling and casting. Reapers are perfect to just take out anything that is big if you have patience. Witch elves on their own kill a lot, so they are by far one of the best combat core units in the game. Sisters are perfect in holding low strength hordes in check, they do not die easily. Dark riders were reliable as always, distracting enemy major unit of advancing, killed not that much with shooting but enough be demorilazing for the enemy and decimate it a little. In the end they butchered enemy necromancer and the decimated skeleton and zombie units. Hellebron kills in combat but if something touches her, she dies. I don't regret her from charging the Horrors, but in this game she was by far not worth the 310 (410) pts.
Please share your thoughts about what I did wrong and can improve !
One of them has the dragonhelm (2++ against fire) so with some luck all his archers have braziers haha !
