I seem to remember winning my first game last year (this may not actually be a true statement – I suppose I should read my own blog). This year I am aching from a beatdown, in which I learnt a couple of lessons.
I accepted Slasher’s challenge and take on his Menoth with my Retribution. This would be a test to see if I can actually leave my church days behind me and carry on in this new direction of mine. On my side of the battle field I had:
Dawnlord Vyros (*6pts)
* Chimera (6pts)
* Hydra (9pts)
* Phoenix (10pts)
House Shyeel Battle Mages (Leader and 5 Grunts) (5pts)
Houseguard Riflemen (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Mage Hunter Strikeforce (Leader and 9 Grunts) (8pts)
Stormfall Archers (Leader and 3 Grunts) (5pts)
Arcanist (1pts)
Ghost Sniper (2pts)
Mage Hunter Assassin (2pts)
While Nat took:
High Executioner Servath Reznik (*6pts)
* Castigator (8pts)
* Castigator (8pts)
* Crusader (6pts)
* Vanquisher (8pts)
* Hierophant (2pts)
Choir of Menoth (Leader and 5 Grunts) (3pts)
Exemplar Cinerators (Leader and 4 Grunts) (8pts)
Knight Exemplar Seneschal (3pts)
Paladin of the Order of the Wall (2pts)
Rhupert Carvolo, Piper of Ord (2pts)
The Wrack (3 wracks) (1pts)
Vassal Mechanik (1pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
Vassal of Menoth (2pts)
There will not actually be much of a structured battle report this week (or for my games on Thursday and Sunday coming up) as my wife has decided to take BOTH of our cameras with her on her business trip to the Big Apple. So I will give the basics of what happened.
Basically I forgot (I’ve never used him before) that he doesn’t like other people using magic (Reznik = ineffective Battle Mages), and when they do, he puts a Cassy in your face. Nat’s Cinerators and Crusader blocked my flanking Mage Hunters and proceeded to crush them after the MH’s put their jack hunter ability to good use. The accompanying Chimera just needed finish it off and put two more damage points on the Crusader. On the other flank, my Mage Hunter Assassin did her job and provided a huge threat. Running 14” for the first turn and then charging (14” threat range) the Paladin in Stone and Mortar pose which ended with a decapitation. She then ran another 14” inches and wound up in some trees behind Reznik. My central block of Houseguard Riflemen and Stormfall Archers were woeful in their shooting (even though the riflemen put a little damage on both Cassy’s and the archers set Reznik on fire). The Phoenix was obliterated and the Hydra didn’t have the opportunity to do much except for showing the world how not to protect a warcaster. The Arcanist really didn’t have much to do, while the Ghost Hunters abilities did come in handy.
We did run out of time, but it was obvious that Nat could have broke Vyros by a couple of different methods. My only hope might have been if my Hydra either slammed or charged the Vanquisher that was standing in front of Reznik most likely pulling off the Smash and Grab chain attack (this would have put more hurt on the Vanq and then put some hurt on Reznik (probably not enough to kill him) and hope he stayed on fire next turn). But I was probably short anyway.
What I really needed was to take a Mage Hunter Commander. He would have given my MH’s Phantom Seeker. They would then have laughed at the large terrain piece between them and Reznik and shoat at him with 11 magic crossbows. The Riflemen (RifleElves?!?) could possibly have used a UA as well. So the points I spent on the Battle Mages (who were largely useless) could have paid for these UA’s and maybe a Soulless Escort.
Not the best way to start the year, but a good insight of what may be to come.
Next: 100 point battle: pKreoss and pFeora vs Morvahna and Kromac. (damn the wife, it would have been so good to take pics of this one)
