Masters Tournament 2000pts with pics

Post Battle Reports here for bragging rights...

Moderator: The Dread Knights

Post Reply
User avatar
Deathpepper
Warrior
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:58 pm

Masters Tournament 2000pts with pics

Post by Deathpepper »

Here's my fourth fantasy tourney at Legions games here in Pittsburgh.
This was the "Masters" tournament with a requirement of only 100% painted armies allowed. It made for a very nice looking day of wargaming.


My list:
Image
Supreme Sorceress - Death Magic, lvl4, Dark Pegasus, Pendant of Kaeleth (inverse ward save), Focus Familiar (cast from 6 inches away)
Cauldron of Blood - Battle Standard Bearer

20 xbows - muso, banner
10 xbows
18 corsairs - extra hand weapon, sea serpent standard (frenzy)
5 harpies
5 harpies
18 WEs - flaming banner
6 Coldone knights - champion with crimson death
Hydra
Hydra


Legions Masters Tourney- 2000pts

*************************************************************************

Round One - Battle Line vs Franco's Empire

First opponent was Franco with his Empire. This guy's always fun to play vs and is a long time warhammer player. His list was heavier on artillery than last time, but no stank. The mission gave a bonus point if you kill the opposing general.

The Imperial Cannon Brigade
Image
Image
Image
Arch Lector on foot - 1+ armor save, Dawnstone (reroll armor Sv), great weapon
BSB Hero
Engineer guy with pigeon bombs (never worked)
Wizard Lvl2 studying Shadow Magic, with a ring of 1 random bound spell
40 swordsmen - full command
attachment of 13 xbows
20 greatswords - full command
attachment of 10 rifleguys
6 outriders - champion with 4 pistol shots
24 fanatics - champion
2 great cannons
2 mortars

*Arch Lector with greatswords, BSB and wizard with swordsmen.

Spell Selections
The wizard rolls up Miasma and the -strength hex spell. His ring gets Wizzans Wildform from Beasts lore.
My Sorceress has Spirit Leech (Ld comparison snipe), Caress of Laniph (Str Snipe), Doom and Darkness (-3 Ld hex), and Purple Sun of Xerxes (vortex of DOOM!).

Deployment:
Image
I start deploying first but still have way more deployments than Franco. He has a hill in each corner of his side and covers them in artillery. His infantry form a rough line mostly on my right between the hills.

I mostly do a refused flank with my stuff on my left, my sorceress starts out of LOS hiding behind a hill.

Franco wins 1st turn, this is going to hurt.
Turn 1 - Empire
Image
Outriders vanguard forward, then move right up close to my knights. Franco didn't seem too clear on how the charge/reaction rules worked and put his guys right into my charge arc. The shooting is withering. The pigeon bomb fails, and cannons bounce off the hydras. But the mortars, crossbows, and outriders shoot down a ton of my repeater crossbows, a knight, 3 witch elves, and even deals 2 wounds to the cauldron. Nothing panics, so I'm ready to retaliate next turn.

In magic, he miasma's my knights with -1 move (didn't really matter), and gives his greatswords unbreakable. I forget to dispel that later and it is...problematic.

Turn 1 - DElves
Image
Cauldron ward save on the cold one knights.
Knights charge the outriders who (after some rules explanations) decide to hold. They do stand and shoot 2 more knights, the knights then kill off the outriders and pursue pretty far towards the left cannon.

Otherwise, I do some maneuvering. Left harpies get up into charge range of the cannon/mortar on the left. The two hydras line up in front of the fanatics block. Magic is uneventful.

Turn 2 - Empire
Image
The fanatics charge the two hydras, dealing 1 wound with flails. I use the wounded hydra's breath in cc, and the two hydras just beat the fanatics down to the last guy ( I rolled like 20 stomp/breaths hits, it was great). The left mortar misfires, engineer rerolls, second misfire, it can't fire this turn. He still manages to wipe my left harpies with grapeshot, mortar the right harpies of the board, and kill 3 corsairs with a cannonball.

Winds of magic were 1,1. He gets off the 4+ ward on arch lector.

Turn 2 - DElves
Image
Knights charge and kill the left cannon! Reform looking at the mortar. Hydras march up facing the greatswords. I was going to breath on them, but got the distance too far back so don't bother this turn. I line up my corsairs and witches to do counter-charges next turn if the greatswords get closer. Sorceress gets in a nice spot behind the center hill, but has LOS to snipe with familiar.

She deals 2 wounds on the lector with snipes, casts purple sun but it stops just short of the swordsmen horde.

Turn 3 - Empire
Image
He shoots nearly all the witch elves with mortars. Greatswords charge the two hydras, manage to deal only one wound to one hydra (the unhurt one). The hydras go nuts, killing all but 3 greatswords and the lector.

I dispel a lector heal spell. He dispels purple sun.

Turn 3 - DElves
Image
Cauldron ward save on the corsairs.
Knights kill the left mortar. (his engineer is hiding out of the knights charge arc)
Image
Corsairs charge the greatswords flank. All the greatswords die, but the lector saves TONS of wounds.

I drop the swordsmen to -3 Ld, then snipe both the bsb and the wizard!

Turn 4 - Empire
Image
Swordsmen charge the corsairs flank and kill a bunch. The arch lector continues his unkillable streak, bouncing everything. The bottom hydra actually wind up out of combat by killing all the greatswords in base to base. Empire win the combat and run down corsairs and a hydra. The swordsmen run into the second hydra.

Turn 4 - DElves
Image
Cauldron gives killing blow to the cold one knights.
I dispel the lector ward save, snipe the last cannon. The empire crossbows panic from the cannon dying, but don't go off the board.
Knights charge lector, finally kill him.
The last 5 witch elves charge the swordsmen flank, the swordmen break (still had doom and darkness for -3Ld) and get away.

We are way over time and call it.

Result
Major Victory for the Dark Elves
Empire killed 525pts, DE killed a lot more.
So 17 battle points, plus the scenario+1pt for killing the enemy general.

Conclusions
I really should have dispeled those lector bound spells earlier. They're only cast online a 4 or something, I could have easily removed them and broken the greatswords way earlier or just killed the lector without his ward. Death was pretty excellent this game. I love being able to just go snipe some victory points instead of having to kill whole units to get at the characters. I made some mistakes with movement, particularly the hydras not getting into good breath range of the greatswords.

Hope you enjoyed game 1!
Last edited by Deathpepper on Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
Deathpepper
Warrior
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:58 pm

Post by Deathpepper »

Legions Masters Tourney- 2000pts

*************************************************************************

Round Two - Battle for the Pass vs John's Dark Elves

For the mirror match I played vs John. He had a nice looking dark elves army that was very heavy on warriors and magic.

John's Dark Elves
Supreme Sorceress - Dark Magic, Level 4, Tome of Furion (+1 spell known)
in 17 spearelves
Sorceress - Death Magic, Level 2, Sacrificial Dagger (kill elves for extra power dice)
in Horde of 40 Spearelves
Sorceress - Death Magic, Level 2, Ring of Darkness (half bs to shoot her unit)
in 20 Blackguard - Full command
10 Harpies
Chariot
Hydra
Hydra
Bolt thrower

Spell Selections
John rolls up:
Lvl4 - Death spells 3 through 6
Lvl2 - Doom and Darkness (-3 Ld), Spirit Leech (Ld snipe)
Lvl2 - Purple Sun, Soul Blight (-1 Str/Toughness)

I rolled up
Lvl4 - Spirit Leech (Ld Snipe), Caress of Laniph (Str Snipe), Fate of Bjurna (Toughness Snipe), Purple Sun.

Deployment
Image
I put down my 20 xbows early, leading John to stack up his chariot and blackguard opposite them. His hydras were on my right, with harpies and bolt thrower behind.

I had my (flaming!) witch elves opposite the hydras, knights on my right flank, hydras central. I was hoping to flame down the hydras with witch elves, breath weapon/xbow the black guard, and mop up with corsairs, knights, and hydras. My caster started fairly far back, I was worried that she might get sniped before taking out the enemy level 4. So I wanted her to only get just in range of her targets (30") to shoot them.

My harpies were on the right to go after the bolt thrower, other unit on the left to suicide charge mages.

I win first turn, choose to go second.

Turn 1 - John
Bolt thrower kills a witch, not much else happens this turn.

Turn 1 - Me
Image
Cauldron gives witch elves 5+ ward.
Knights fail stupidity.
I move up aggressively and get a powered up Caress of Laniph off on the dark level 4, she dies. Right xbows deal a wound to the big hydra. I try a Ld snipe on a hydra, but roll very poorly.

My xbows all miss the black guard thanks to the ring of darkness item on that sorceress.

Turn 2 - John
Image
One of his casters irresistable's a powered up Soul Blight (-1str/toughness to all within 24") and loses 2 levels.
His black guard and chariot march to within decent charge range of the left xbows.
The hydras charge witch elves, but only one makes it in. The witches deal 3 wounds, then lose 9 models and hold.

Turn 2 - Me
My pegasus flies past the hydras, snipes the powered down caster and the bolt thrower. Knights flank charge the engaged hydra, finishing it off.

My hydras move to perfect flaming position on the black guard and kill everything but the sorceress.

I'm about to start xbowing the last sorceress when John concedes.

Result
Massacre for the Dark Elves.
So 20 battle points, plus the scenario +1pt for all my heroes surviving.

Conclusions
Apparently, John was playing with the assumption that forests still block all LOS (7th ed rule) and thought his lvl4 was safe turn 1. It really threw him off when she died and maybe caused him to make some tactical errors.

Hope you enjoyed game 2!
User avatar
Deathpepper
Warrior
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 5:58 pm

Post by Deathpepper »

Legions Masters Tourney- 2000pts

*************************************************************************

Round Three - Meeting Engagement vs Troy's Nurgley Warriors of Chaos

Last round was vs Troy. He had a beautiful warriors army with a nurgle theme.

Troy's Pestilential Chaos
Chaos Wizard guy - lvl3, mark of nurgle, third eye of tzeentch
BSB hero - blasted standard
both in 21 chaos warriors - halberds, shields, mark of nurgle
Throgg the Troll King
in 5 trolls
Chariot - mark of Khorne
Chariot - mark of Khorne
Horde of 40 Marauders - Flails, mark of nurgle

Spell Selections
Troy rolls up:
Lvl3 - Magnificent Buboes (1W auto snipe), Plague Squal (S1 template thing), Curse of something (-S/T hex)

I rolled up
Lvl4 - Spirit Leech (Ld Snipe), Doom and Darkness (-3 Ld), Soul Blight (-1S/T hex), Purple Sun.

Deployment
Image
<We agreed that the buildings were impassable rectangles>
Troy wins deployment and this mission has him deploying his whole army first. Amazingly, his marauders and my small xbows are the only reserves.

He edges right up as close as he can to assault me early. I decide to concentrate on killing the trolls early, then dealing with the big blocks. So I put my (flaming!) witch elves accross from the trolls, flanked by hydras and knights. Corsairs go opposite the warriors but pretty far back (i plan to put cauldron killing blow on them later to kill those warriors).

I manage to steal first turn on a 6! Sweet.

Turn 1 - DElves
My xbows arrive.
Cauldron gives witch elves 5+ ward.
I edge my witch elves up as a tempting troll target. Sorceress casts doom and darkness on the warriors, then gets off spirit leech on the chaos caster. He gets very lucky and wins the Ld dice-off. I also cast powered up Soul Blight, hitting all his stuff.

My xbows try to shoot the warriors, but with all the penalties to hit do nothing.

Turn 1 - Nurgle
His marauders come in opposite my knights.
There's a misunderstanding with the rules for frenzy. Try thinks his khorne chariots have to declare charges on my witch elves, rolls the distance, one makes it, then realizes he could have restrained them.

The chariot kills only 3 witches and loses 2 wounds. They stay.
His caster steals my lore with third eye of tzeentch (i couldn't stay out of LOS this time), casts spirit leech but I dispel it.

Turn 2 - DElves
Image
I move my harpies in front of the warriors and trolls to stall them a turn.
Both hydras charge the chariot that's on my witch elves. The witches finish off the chariot before anything can strike, we reform looking at the trolls.

I snipe the chaos caster. Cast Soul Blight on everyone again, it irresistables, I get the S10 template result and take a wound.

Turn 2 - Nurgle
Image
Warriors charge left harpies, trashing them and overrunning into my corsairs. Trolls charge left harpies, overun into one of my hydras. Second chariot charges my other hydra, the hydra kills it (he rolled 1 for impacts)!
Image

He dispells doom and darkness.

Turn 3 - DElves
Image
Cauldron gives corsairs killing blow.

I cast doom and darkness (-3Ld) on the trolls. I also cast purple sun but it falls just short of the marauders.

Combo charge the trolls with knights and the 2nd hydra. Throgg challenges and my knight champion gladly accepts. The champion is horribly killed, but the hydras both use their breaths for like 20 hits. The trolls all die and throgg is run down. My knights actually roll an 11" pursuit right over the purple sun template, one dies.

Corsairs kill around 10 warriors (lots of killing blows), but not the BSB. They take terrible casualties back and the last couple run. Troy restrains pursuit and reforms looking at the witches.

Turn 3 - Nurgle
Image
Marauders fail a charge on a hydra by like an inch.
Warriors charge the witches on a flank, kill like half of them. They hold anyway thanks to the cauldron giving them stubborn. I fail the combat reform even with a reroll.

Turn 4 - DElves
Cauldron gives witches 5+ ward.
I cancel the purple sun. Fail to cast my first spell.
Hydras and knights move to the marauder's flank.
Cauldron moves back so its not easily charged by the warriors.
Corsairs rally.

Image
Warriors kill a few more witches, but they hang in there anyway. I'm killing a warrior here and there.

Turn 4 - Nurgle
Image
Marauders reform looking at the knights and hydras.
Image
Warriors finish off the witches, reform looking at my xbows.

Turn 5 - DElves
Cauldron gives killing blow to my corsairs. Corsairs move up so their corner blocks the warriors from charging the xbows.

Doom and Darkness (-3 Ld) on the marauders.

Knights and hydras charge marauders. The marauders mostly fail to hurt the hydras, but do kill all but one knight. Then the hydras kill nearly all the maruaders and run them down.

Turn 5 - Nurgle
Image
Troy thinks he can get around the corsairs to charge the xbows, I let it go. Warrios kill some xbows, but not enough to break them.

Turn 6 - DElves
Image
Cauldron gives xbows killing blow.
Doom and Darkness on the warriors.
Corsairs reform to look at the warriors, not that it matters now.
More casualties on both sides, I hold again. There's only a few warriors left now.

Turn 6 - Nurgle
I kill off everything but the bsb and champion, still lose combat, run, get away.

Result
Major Victory for the Dark Elves.
So 17 battle points, plus the scenario +1pt for my hero killing the enemy general.

This was enough to get 1st place for a nice store credit prize. So a great weekend of gaming!

Conclusions
I'm starting to think dark elves are made to fight warriors of chaos. I always feel pretty confident against them because my mobility is just so much better. Death lore was amazing in all these games, noone was taking ward save items on their characters and it really hurt them! My units were all pretty solid, except maybe the crossbow elves who didn't actually kill much.

Troy was a good tactician, he was just unlucky at the wrong times and had a tough matchup for his army I think. Throgg being stuck in a challenge instead of breathing and vomiting to kill hydras was huge. Charging with unsupported chariots early limited their impact quite a bit. It was still a fun game and very challenging to play.

Hope you enjoyed game 3!
Last edited by Deathpepper on Mon Feb 21, 2011 12:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Nellamik
Black Guard
Posts: 278
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:10 pm
Location: Near the windy city Illinois

Post by Nellamik »

Nice report. Pics really help.
How did you manage to keep track of all that while playing the games?
Congradulations on the outcome.
No amount of planning can ever replace dumb luck.
User avatar
Calisson
Corsair
Corsair
Posts: 8820
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:00 pm
Location: Hag Graef

Post by Calisson »

Great reports, compliments for the 1st place!
Winds never stop blowing, Oceans are borderless. Get a ship and a crew, so the World will be ours! Today the World, tomorrow Nagg! {--|oBrotherhood of the Coast!o|--}
User avatar
Tundrik
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:16 am
Location: Ripon Yorkshire

great result

Post by Tundrik »

Great reports really good pictures for the turns helps alot.

Well done on the result and the store credit :)
We need more slaves !
Post Reply