Empire Army List
The Order of the Cleansing Flame
Wood Elves- Hero (HoDA, maybe
something else)
2 X 16 Archers
1 X 5 Glade Riders (Champ, Std [War Banner], Spears)
1 X 6 (or 7) Wardancers
1 Treeman
The men of the Order were efficient and finished their deployed before the tainted ones. Yet, one does not go to battle without thanking Sigmar the Destroyer for the gift of foes to smite and the damned elves, blast their Chaos warped and honourless hides, began the fight before the sacrifices had even begun to blacken.
Empire was on the south end of the table, WEs on the north. The scenario was 6 (capture the objective- the monolith, which sate in the centre of the table). From west to east the elves placed their Glade Riders, then some Archers, the Treeman, more archers with the hero (even with the objective), and the wardancers. The only terrain of note beside the monolith was a set of crags to the east of the monolith. The empire placed their archers on the extreme eastern flank (even with the crags), the flagellants in the centre (even with the monolith) with the Free Company behind them, beside the flagellants was the archer detachment behind that the Halberds, with the Free Company detachment to the east of the halberds, the crossbows were west of the archers with their flank secured against some ruins.
The foul magic of their foes caused a tree to pull itself from the ground and begin to lumber across the field. A flight of arrows darkened the sky. Men, good honest men, fell screaming as the arrows impacted them. The clearing rang with Hermann’s cries of righteous, but at present impotent, fury. Seeing their leader so enraged, the men held their ground and returned fire as the bulk of the Order advanced.
The Glade Riders marched forward
to the other side of the ruins that protected he crossbows. The Treeman
advanced to be just west of the monolith. The Wardancers sheltered behind
the crags. Shooting kills 4 crossbows and 3 of the archer unit. Neither
panics.
The Archers detachment advances,
as do the flagellants, the halberds, and the Free Company. The Free Company
detachment, moves to protect the rear of its parent. The Huntsmen pop out
to shoot at the wardancers and lead them away from the main battle. Shooting
killed 4 of the western archers, 1 of the centre archers, and a wardancer.
Cries of giant hunting birds battled with the cries of the Doomsayers and their sound was like the wailing of daemons. Blood flew, spraying the tree with a sustenance far different from what a tree should require. The clouds of arrows still reaped there gory harvest. The screams of the Huntsmen added to the din. The cacophony broke the spirit of the archers and the crossbows, but in the centre of the clearing joyous screams erupted from the Doomsayers.
The Wardancers charged the
Huntsmen, and the Treeman charged the Flagellants. The Glade Riders completed
their march around the ruins. Shooting killed 1 archer and 3 crossbows-
the x-bows panicked. The Treeman killed a flagellant, but took one wound
in return, broke and was run down (Hoody Ho! My luck has changed). The
Wardancers slaughtered the Huntsmen and this caused the archers to panic.
Both Archers and Crossbows
rally. The Flagellants charged the centre archers. 4 die in the stand and
shoot (despite the HoDA scoring 14 arrows, and 12 hits). They kill 4 archers,
but take 2 wounds in return and the archers stay. The Halberds and their
archers advance.
Another cloud of arrows this time accompanied by the thunder of hooves. A challenge rings out to be drown beneath the pure sound of the Doomsayers death bells. Men fall in grim silence. Elves scream in pain. The hearts of the bravest fail and fall prey to the taint of Chaos.
The Glade Riders charge the
detachment of Free Company (note that this leads them straight east and
away from the main objective). The unit of archers does 4 wounds on the
archer detachment and the detachment flees. The Hero challenges the
Prophet of Doom- neither do any wounds. The archers fail to hurt the Flaggies,
but the Flagellants kill 2 archers. The archers stay. The Glade Riders
punish the Free Company and set upon as they attempt to flee. Wardancers
return to be near main fight.
The Halberds march closer
the WE archers. Free company places itself in contact with objective. Archers
and Crossbows both fail to hit anything. In hand to hand, nobody hits anything
for either side, elves now outnumber and lap around.
The deadly rain of missile has yet to be stopped. The thunder of hooves sounds out again, but they are led astray but the cunning archers. The Prophet finds his doom and is silenced forever. The bells toll for his death and vengeance is measured blood for blood.
The Glade Riders charge the
archers who chose to flee (again directly east), but are caught. Glade
Riders are now at extreme south eastern corner of board. Shooting drops
4 halberds. In HtH the WE hero kills the Prophet. One flagellant and 2
archers fall. More archers lap around.
The Halberds march to within
1” of the archers (guessed that distance correctly). The x-bows again miss
the Glade Riders. The Free Company stay and prepare to get hit by the Wardancers
in the flank (this was a calculated risk. I could have keep turning so
he always faced my front, but the Glade Riders would be back soon and I
figured with the Wardancers not negating ranks I had a chance to drive
them off by placing the general on the side they would charge and giving
them the flank so they would be tempted).
The whooping hunting cries again echoed through the clearing and the sky was again darkened with arrows. Brother Darius knows that fortune favours the brave, but not the foolhardy and he leads his men in a strategic retreat. The death knell of the Sigmar’s bells sounds. With a hue and cry, the halberds emerge from the rain of missile and claims a wereguild of blood.
The Wardancers charge, do 5
wounds and take none in return (priest whiffed). Free Company flees, but
is not caught. 4 more halberds are shot down, and the last flagellant finally
dies. Glade Riders make their way back to the battle.
Free Company rallies and the
ability to reform facing any direct saves me as I put both the War Dancers
and Glade Riders in the front charge arc. Halberds break the archers but
do not pursue (this actually could have been an error, though it didn’t
matter at the end).
The lithe forms of those who consider war a dance, circle behind the brave Companions, unwilling to face them in an even fight. A short burst of thunder. A solid wall. Flight and despair to the tainted. The storm of death is silent. Brother Darius summons the power of Sigmar the protector. Sigmar answers his call as his last act before the light of his eye fades as he passes to sleep and leaves the Eye of Ulric to watch over men.
Glade Riders charge the Free
Company while the Wardancers circle behind the same unit. Both archers
units try to position themselves for better shots in the next turn. Brother
Darius challenges and defeats the Glade Rider champ. 2 Free Company and
2 Glade Riders fall. The Riders flee and the Company stays near the objective.
The Halberds wheel to get
back to the objective. The Free Company turn and move through the space
the War Dancers just abandoned and place themselves beside the monolith
again. X-bows miss again. Dice roll is a 2 and the game ends with the Free
Companies as the nearest unit to the objective giving the Empire the win.
Lessons learned
1. Know your own army- writing the
battle report here I remembered that I had marksmen for the archers and
crossbows and never used them.
2. Flagellants are but a pale shadow
of their former selves (WS 2 and only Str 3 really take away from their
use as an offensive unit. They are now very short charge range attackers
[they only fight well on the charge] or a tar-pit unit).
3. Even with cheaper troops it is
hard to outshoot WEs [hard to find LOS for the troops you wish to shoot].
4. Detachments make only semi good
guards for flanks and stuff and getting the full use out of their rules
is harder than it would first appear.