[TOW] 800pts DE vs Dwarfs

[Daeron]

A first game of TOW, with Dark Elves versus Dwarfs, 800 points each.

Lists
I brought:
115 pts - Sorceress, Level 2, Focus Familiar, Elementalism

101 pts - 5 Dark Riders, repeater crossbows, Shields, Musician
203 pts - 14 Repeater Crossbowmen, full command, Shields, Banner Of Har Ganeth

217 pts - 6 Cold One Knights, Full plate armour, Champion
80 pts - 5 Dark Elf Shades, additional hand weapons

80 pts - 1 Reaper Bolt Throwers

My goal was to set a nice collection of models on the table and get some feeling with moving, shooting and maybe a charge. For the list, I was hoping to make the cold one knights a threat that could be sacrificed if needed.

My opponent brought:

- A thane
- A runesmith
- 10 warriors, with full command
- 14 other fighters, with full command
- 10 quarrelers
- 10 thunderers
- A gyrocopter
- A gyrobomber


A side note: neither of us had rebased our models. It might be that we'll move more sluggishly once we do.

Deployment:

My opponent gets a hill for his quarrelers, but due to my position on the table he deploys his thunderers elsewhere. I try to sneak my shades behind a wood, so they would be in a rather close range soon.
I squeezed my dark riders and cold one knights on the flank. For the dark riders this was a diversion. For the cold one knights, it was to create a threat on that side to keep my options open.

I end up with the spells:
* Travel of mystical pathways (elementalism)
* Cursing word


Turn 1, my opponent begins

His Gyrocopter flies and steams my shades. A move I should have anticipated but didn't. It kills of 2 Shades but they don't panic. Only a few quarrelers can reach, but no damage is done. He keeps the bomber in the back for safety.
He learns that his fighter unit is quite blocked by his thunderers. Considering they were out of reach, I'm surprised he didn't push them forward.

Turn 1, my turn.
Stupidity fails! And first rules question. How far do they have to move? Since no clear indication is given, I advocate I can choose the distance. A neutral judge tells us "at least 1 inch". This brings them forward, but not enough to be in range of the thunderers.
It may be that this is a wrong call by me. It will have to be checked.

I turn to focus all firepower on the gyrocopter and do 2 wounds.
My spell for Travel of mystical pathways fails - even with the re-roll.

Turn 2, Dwarfs
Some shuffling in the back, but no particular push. The gyrocopter flames another 2 shades but they don't panic.

Turn 2, Dark Elves

The Cold One Knights march forward and come into a dangerous range for that flank. The rest of my army shifts left, to finish the Gyrocopter and move on to the Quarrelers.
My spell for Travel of mystical pathways fails.


Turn 3, Dwarfs
Out comes the Gyrobomber, to threaten the Cold One Knights. The thunderers join the shooting on the cold one knights. I fail all but 1 armour test and 3 of the Knights fall dead. They pass the panic test.

The quarrelers pick off a few crossbow warriors.

Turn 3, Dark Elves

Some confusion. I declare a charge on the bomber with the cold one knights. Initially he declares a flee reaction, but it seems a redirection on the thunderers would not permit them to stand and shoot (BRB pg129). It's something we need to watch out for, since we have a lot of flee tactics with dark riders.
My opponent was surprised by this rule and requests that he can stand and shoot with the bomber instead, to which I agree. The Cold One Knights charge the bomber and one dies in the stand and shoot due to another failed armour save.

My spell for Travel of mystical pathways for the crossbow warriors fails. So all troops keep their slow move to the quarrelers except for the DR's which I hold to shoot at max ability.
The combined firepower of both units and the repeater bolt thrower takes out 4 quarrelers.

In combat, the cold one knights inflict 2 wounds and save all incoming damage. The break test is passed, but the bomber is pushed back 2 inches. The Cold One Knights follow up.

Turn 4, Dwarfs

He pushes forward with his combat units to narrow my playfield. His quarrelers and thunderers pick off 3 dark riders.

In combat, the gyrobomber fails to inflict wounds and takes some wounds. The unit breaks and flees. The cold one knights hold and reform to threaten both bomber and thunderers in their flank!

Turn 4, Dark Elves

Aha! The Cold One Knights declare a charge on the bomber, which is forced to flee. It flees off the table, and after this move I redirect them to the thunderers. They succeed their flank charge!

My spell for Travel of mystical pathways is a miscast. The miscast table causes the spell to succeed but take away my ability to cast more spells. His dispel fails. I still move my crossbow warriors in his back field. I should point out this not a legal move. I should have stayed within 12". I slipped there, and only took note of the 6" distance.
They shoot his quarrelers from behind, with no damage done.

In combat, the cold one knights kill 2 Thunderers but they hold firm. They get pushed back 2 inches.


The end
Food was ready, and it was time to move on.

I scored:
- 100 pts Gyrobomber
- 60 pts Gyrocopter

He scored:
- 40 pts, Shades below 25%

In theory a victory, but it should be noted that:
- my Cold One Knights might have suffered if they had moved 7" forward on their initial stupidity test
- the final move of my crossbows was illegal. I should have made a different move

I think, if the fight had continued, it would have been close call either way. The Cold One Knights were slowly munching away the thunderers, but a single fluff turn could have turned that around. If my crossbows failed the movement spell at a critical moment, they would be forced into an unfavourable combat.
My magic was awful. It's clear it's lacking some ranged utility. I should look into finding a more suitable lore of magic for a level 2 sorceress.