Blood and Plunder in the Old World: Against the Empire at 3k

[Detherius Zythaal]

The list I'm using is still the Tidal Wave Strike Force, already posted in the army list section.
I'm up against someone I don't play much against, but I kind of knew what to expect to some extent.

Just as he did the only other time I played against him, my opponent fields a full cavalry army.

His List:
Archlector, AoD, Dragonbane Gem, Great Weapon, War Altar General
Battle Wizard Lord Level 4, Warhorse, Dispel Scroll, ToP Lore of Light
Captain of the Empire, BSB, Barded Warhorse, TOTS, Crown of Command, Full Plates, Great Weapon
13 Inner Circle Knights, FC, Great Weapons, Steel Standard
5 Knights, Musician
5 Knights, Musician
5 Knights, Musician
5 Reiksguard Knights, Musician, Standard
5 Pistoliers, Musician
4 Demygryph Knights, Musician, Standard
4 Demygryph Knights, Musician, Standard
Great Cannon
Helblaster Volley Gun
Steam Tank
Celestial Hurricanum
Luminark of Hysh


He gets Pha's Protection, Speed of Light, Net of Amyntok and Bironna's Timewarp


I roll a 2 and a triple 6, and get Doombolt, Word of Pain, Shroud of Despair and Arnzipal's Black Horror.


Note that everytime "Right" or "Left" is mentionned, it is according to my perspective (referring them two times in a row means I am speaking of the extremity), and I'll call my side of the board the top while my opponent's one will be the bottom. The center according to length will be refer to as "Middle" while I will call it "Center" when it is according to wideness I'm sorry if there is no pictures or diagram but i'll probably try out the latter if I'm eventually doing another report.


Terrain Features: Tower on the top-right-right of the board, Sinister Statue on the center-right-right , Wall on the bottom-right-right, Altar of Khaine on center-middle-right, Idol of Gork on center-middle-left, Blessed Bulwark on center/bottom-left, Tower on bottom-right-right, Normal Forest on top-right-right. Sorry if that is unclear.


Deployment (always from right to left):

Dark Elves
Top-top: RBT in the tower
Center-top: Locks1(SS); 2 RBT; Executioners; Corsairs(Shrine); Locks2 on the other side of the forest.
Bottom-top: DR1; COC1 in front of the BTs, Kbeast1 in front of the right side of the executioners; Kbeast2 in front of the left side of the corsairs; COC2; DR2 in front of Locks2

Empire
Note that no imperial troops are deployed on the right side of the Altar of Khaine
Top-bottom: Steam Tank; Knights1; Knights2; Helblaster; Reiksguard; Pistoliers in front of the bottom Tower.
Center-bottom: DGK1 between Steam Tank and Knights1; Hurricanum behind Knights1; ICK(BSB) between Knights1 and Knights2; War Altar; Luminark behind the right side of Knights2; DGK2 partly behind the left side of Knights2
Bottom-bottom: Knights3(Wizard Lord) behind the inner circle knights; Cannon in the tower.

Vanguard:
DR2 advance to partially block the vanguard of the pistoliers while remaining out of range of the Helblaster. The pistoliers shuffle forward as much as they can, which isn't much. Locks1 get the SS in range of the Shrine's ld buff. Locks2 move around the forest and go behind DR2.


Thanks to the +1 to his roll, my opponent gets the first turn.


Empire Turn 1

Movement:
The ST generates 5 steam points and uses 3 of these to advance forward 12".
The whole center of his line moves forward at their maximum movement without marching, while DGK2 and the Reiksguard march forward.
One Reiksguard Knight die from a dangerous terrain test by passing over the Blessed Bulwark.
The pistoliers move in shooting range of DR2.

Magic: 10(+1) vs 6
He gets a channeling, making this a 12v6.
He 4-dices an improved Pha's Protection and gets a total of 17. I let it through.
He then uses 5 dices for Banishment on the Kbeast2 but only gets 14 in total. I easily dispel it with 3 dices.
He uses his 3 last dice for the bound spell of the Luminark on the same Kharibdyss, I dispel it.

Shooting:
The steam tank misfires while trying to shoot Kbeast1 and loses 2 wounds.
The great cannon hit Kbeast2, and puts 2 wounds on it. I was pretty happy about that, i had messed up a bit on the deployment and he could had take out the beast and my shrine in a single shot if he would have been lucky enough.
The Pistoliers kill 2 Dark Riders from DR2. They fail their leadership test and flee off the board. The warlocks, made of tougher stuff, stand their ground.
Nothing is in range of the Helblaster Volley Gun.


Dark Elves Turn 1

Charge:
The locks2 charge the pistoliers who to stand and shoot. They fail to do any wounds. I then roll triple 1 for my charge distance. That is unfortunate, DR2 and Locks2 were supposed to be the ones taking out the imperial war machines, but now that DR2 are gone and that Locks2's horses are a bunch of idiots, i won't be able to get to them until turn 3...
I try a long charge with my witches that will get them out of the range of sight of the Demigryph Knights. I need a 9, and rolls a 10.

Movement:
My center advance cautiously forward, my executioners getting a bit ahead.
COC1 advance to get the altar of khaine between themselves and the ST and I angled them so that they can get a charge on the flank of anything that charge my executioners while Kbeast1 marches a bit ahead of it to do same in the rear.
Pegmaster fly behind his lines.
DR1 marches around DGK1.
COC2 moves ahead, getting the Idol of Gork between itself and DGK2.

Magic: 9 vs 6(+1)
I get a channeling.
I 3 Dices at Soulblight on the ST, he dispels it with 3 of his own.
I then uses 3 more power dices for a Doombolt on the Pistoliers and get 16, he tries to dispel it with his remaining 4 dices but only get a total of 13. 6 hits, all of them wounds and bye bye pistoliers.
My 4 dices attempt at Word of Pain is scrolled.

Shooting:
Fortunately, his ST wasn't in range of his Pha's protection, but I only manage to get 2 wounds through with my Reapers.

Close Combat:
The witches kill 2 knights, the reiksguard inflicts one casualty in return. I win but they are stubborn and succesfully make their ld test.


Empire Turn 2

Charge:
The Inner Circle Knights fail their charge on my executioners and moves forward 4 inches.
Thanks to the Idol of Gork, the Demigryph makes a very long charge on the corsairs, but they take a wound from the medusa's stand and shoot.
The Luminark charges the witches in the flank.

Movement:
The Steam tank misfires and lose a steam point out of his 3. He rolls 11 out of his 2D6 and park itself a few inch from the executioners.
Knights 1 marches to block Kbeast1 and COC1 from charging the Steam Tank.
The rest moves a bit forward.

Magic: 7(+1) vs 5
I channel a dispel dice, making this a 8v6.
He 2 dices Pha's Protection on the steam tank and rolls a double 1s.
He uses then 6 dices banishment on Kbeast2 but he is unable to get an irresistible force and i manage to dispel it.

Shooting:
Only COC2 is in range of the Helblaster, and he is partially hidden from it by the Idol of Gork. Out of 20 shots, he rolls 3 hits and 1 wounds.
The Great Cannon misfires and cannot shoot this turn.

Close Combat:
In the combat of the witches, reiksguard and Luminark, the latter inflict 3 wounds on impact hits. The witches kill the remaining Reiksguard and inflict 3 wounds on the Luminark. The acolytes kill 2 additional witch elves. I win because of my musician and he succesfully make hid ld test. I reform to face the luminark.
In the combat of the Demigryph against the corsairs, avert your gaze does nothing, neither do the medusa. My BSB deals a wound and so do the corsairs, taking out a first demigryph. The demygryph rolls 4 hits, 0 wounds, the knight 0 hits. I win by 5, He flees 11", getting through is whole line and ending up just behind of his wizard bunker. I stand my ground.


Dark Elves Turn 2

Charge:
Kbeast1 on Knights1, they fail their terror test and flee. The beast runs them down.
COC1 charge the steam tank.
Executioners charge the ST and don't need to roll to make it.
Pegmaster makes a flanc charge on the Hurricanum.
Kbeast2 and COC2 makes their easy charges on Knights2.
Change of plan for my remaining dark riders: I elect to charge the fleeing DGK. They flee 4" and I redirect into the rear of the mage bunker.

Movement:
Locks2 marches and get in position to be able to charge the cannon or the helblaster next turn while keeping just out of short range of the latter.
My corsairs moves 2 inches forward.
SS bunker remain where they are.

Magic: 9 vs 5(+1)
3 diced doombolt on the helblaster dispelled with 4 dispel dices.
I use 2 dices for soulblight on the ST and gets 13. He let's it through.
He dispel a doombolt casted at 2 dices with my SS with his last dices.
I fail to cast an improved Word of Pain on the ICKs.

Close Combat:
My DR puts 2 wounds on the wizard lord. His knights kill 2 DR in return. I win by 3, but he pass his ld test with his reroll but fail to reform.
The witches get cr***py rolls and only puts a single wounds on the Luminark, which is promptly saved by his 6++. He does nothing in return, and he sticks.
I manage to put 2 unsaved wounds on the ST with my impact hits, but the Executioners fluffs and only cause 2 unsaved wounds to it. The charioteers and the Cold Ones do nothing.
The Pegmaster, being frenzied because of the Altar of Khaine manage to kill the Hurricanum outright. He is then forced to overrun into the flank of the Inner Circle Knights.
COC2 inflict 1 casualty on Knights2 on impact hits, the charioteers kill 1 more, and the Kharibdyss also kills one. The knights do nothing in return, they flee and gets cut down by both the COC and the Kbeast. It gets better, my Kbeast overrun into the War Altar while the COC gets right on top of the fleeing DGK. I reform it to be able to charge the wizard bunker, the war altar or the Inner Circle Knights, that are all already engaged.
It is starting to look bleak for the imperial forces.


Empire Turn 3

Charge:
Remaining unit of demigryphs in the flank of Kbeast1, makes it.

Movement:
The Steam Tank somehow manage to not misfires and grinds down 7 executioners.

Magic: 2 vs 1
Nothing passes

Shooting:
The Cannon takes out 3 wounds from the shrine.
The Helblaster kills a warlock.

Close Combat:
Charioteers fail to do any hits to the Steam Tank and the executioners finally finish the job. I reform the chariot to face the DGKs and the executioners are reformed 7 wide.
The Kbeast1 kills a DGK and gets killed in return. They overrun into COC1 (their way was blocked by the ST before and this is why the other combat was resolved before)
The Pegmaster massacres the Inner Circle champion in challenge. I win combat, he sticks.
The Dark Riders kill the Wizard Lord but lose 2 models in return. I still win because i'm in his rear. They make their ld test with succes.
Kbeast2 fail to pass the ward save of the imperial General, and takes a wound for his trouble. That result in a draw.
The witches kill off the Luminark.


Dark Elves Turn 3

Charge:
Locks2 assaults the cannon in the tower and make it.
The corsairs on the inner circle knights.
Executioners on the DGKs.
Witches in the flank of the war altar.
COC2 in the flank of the now wizardless bunker.

Movement:
The Supreme Sorceress and her warlocks moves towards the main combats.

Magic: 6 vs 5
I get 2 channeling.
Soulblight on 2 dices is barely casted. He dispels it with 2 of his own.
Another soulblight is casted on the Inner Circle Knights with 2 other dices. He lets it through.
2 more dices on an improved Word of Pain. I roll 13, and so does he with his 3 dices.
2 dices on shroud of despair: double 5! all of his combat units are affected. The lore attribute puts a wound on the Archlector and kills 2 knights from the bunker unit.

Close Combat:
The executioners deal 4 wounds on the demigryphs, the charioteers do nothing, the demigryphs put 4 wounds back on the executioners, the knights kill an executioners, cold ones do nothing. The result is a draw, unfortunately.
The witches kill the Archlector, the Kbeast does 1 wound on the war altar. I win by 6, break the war altar and runs it down while pursuing into the inner circle knights with both. The witches are unable to fit because of the Kbeast. The helblaster fail his ld test for the death of the general.
The warlocks kill the cannon.
The chariots do nothing with impact hits on the knight bunker, the charioteers kill 1, the Dark rider fails to wound, the knights fail to kill off the last dark rider, the cold ones are unable to hit. The bunker flee and is runned down.
Finally, in the big central combat now involving the corsairs, the pegmaster and a Kbeast, impact hits kills 2 knights and Avert your Gaze! kills another 2. My bsb, the medusa and the corsairs can't get pass their 2+. The Pegmaster kills 1. The Kbeast goes to town and kills 5 knights! The pegasus kill one more. There is now only 1 knights and the BSB remaining in the units. The latter puts 2 wounds on the shrine. In the end, I win by a tons breaks him, and both standard bearers die from it.


My opponent calls the game since he only has an helblaster and one units of DGKs on the table while i have only lost a unit of dark rider and a Kbeast. We don't bother calculating victory points.

Heroes of the match:
Empire: The Pistoliers. By breaking my DR and blocking my warlocks (failed charge), I was unable to silence a single war machine before turn 3.
Dark Elves: The Dark Riders (obliviously not those who fled off the board turn 1) for indirectly causing the destruction of the Demigryph knights and for assassinating his level 4.

[Underway]

Excellent report, but you need pics! Even just of your nice army from you cell phone.... lol!

What are the actual rules for the steam tank? Its T,W, AS etc... just the coles notes version so I understand it. I've never actually played one in the current rule set and was wondering how you deal with it.

[Detherius Zythaal]

It has 10 wounds T6 and 1+ AS. It has a very high chance of misfiring when it start losing wounds. It has a cannon.
It's a good unit, but still very manageable with our army.