Battle Report – Chaos vs. Lizardmen South 12/08/2001

“High praises to you, Lord Vroak”. The Skink official’s red eyes gleamed with anxiety. “I bring news from Xalak.”

High on his throne, the Slann Mage Priest’s eyes floated slightly in his direction. The official took this as a sign to go on.

“Xalak has been attacked by a horde of green skinned louts.” The official eyed the other officials which had gathered for the meeting. “The Xalak defence was overthrown, many dead, few survivors!” He spat out the words in anger. There was much murmur all around him, officials repeating his report to others. He looked at the mage, who was idly looking at a fly buzzing around his head.

“And that is NOT all!” He prided himself with the sudden stillness that befell upon those gathered upon his utterance. “I have reports of another army headed towards Xuttu-kah! Towards us!” Scaly faces showed varied expressions of fear, surprise, questions…

“Are you sure it’s not the same army?”

“Are they of the Pale-Ones?”

“What do they want? Have they come to help us?”

“They come in peace?”

Unxhi, the Skink official at the centre of attention, raised his hands, silencing their questions.

“Tell us all you know, Unxhi!” A deep slow voice echoed around the hall. The Slann Mage Priest had spoken.

Unxhi turned to address the Throne. “The oncoming army is led by Daemons. They leave only chaotic plunder in their wake. The very trees lie writhed and deformed. Where they pass, only Death remains. And they are heading this way.”

Unxhi stopped for a dramatic pause.

“Shamans have concluded that the green skinned army that besieged Xalak where escaping from the invasion of Chaos. May I remind you that Xuttu-Kah is one of the strongest bastions this side of Sauria. If we fail to stop the oncoming threat – the whole of Lustria is at stake”

Unxhi’s speech was followed by the thumping of javelins by the gathered officials in his support. He looked around and he felt his cold blood rising in temperature. Until his gaze fell upon his Lord, high on his throne, who had closed his eyes to contemplate. Those gathered realized that Lord Vraok was consulting the knowledge the Sacred Old Ones had left to them only, seeking a response to the eminent problem.

After what seemed like days, Lord Vroak slitted his boccal cavity. “None shall pass”

The officials erupted in cheers and shouts raising their javelins in anticipation for the battle.

Pre-battle comments

After a heavy defeat at the hands of the Greenskins, I realized I had to change my tactics. This was the second time I was playing with the Lizardmen army and the first time against DaemoN’s Chaos army. From small hints I could get from my opponent, I knew his game would be a steady, unbreakable advance. Looking up some Lizardmen tactics on the net I found out that the Lizardmen also where a steady advance army. But I knew that one-on-one, the Chaos would turn out victorious. Thus I had to go for a different tactic. First of all I consolidated my core troops: I put in 19 Saurus Warriors who would accompany the thrice-marked Saurus Hero into battle. I added more Temple Guards around the SMP to complete the third rank and I summoned two more Kroxigors from the Lustrian quarries to a total of five. I decided to leave all the magic in the hands of Lord Vroak and replaced the Skink Shaman with another Salamander to a total of two.

To keep in line with the scenario (an invasion onto Lizardmen territory), I chose a variation of the collapsing offence – the collapsing frontline defence. This would consist of three layers of units:

1) The front line would consist of firepower: the Stegadon flanked by the two Salamanders. I always imagined a Lizardmen army using Fear as the pre-cursor to Strength. The Stegadon’s heavy bolt and the Salamanders’ acid would slightly weaken the oncoming offense: especially the No Armour Save hits! The Stegadon would try to charge if it gets the chance whilst the Salamanders would Stand and Fight.

2) Behind them, three units of skinks with bows would flank the enemy once they come into HtH with the frontline monsters. The skinks would then pin the enemy for…

3) The third and last rank would consist of the main infantry units: The Saurus warriors, the Temple Guards and the Kroxigors. These would charge into the pinned enemy and hopefully turn the defense into a counter-attack.

Of course, I always employ dynamic planning : make a plan but don’t bind yourself to it – always take a better alternative if the opportunity arises. For greater liberty of movement, Asarnil the DragonLord from the nearby forests was summoned to help.

I counted on better spells for my Slann Mage – the previous fight was rather pitiful… - and of course, Lady Luck who always blesses my white dice.

Something I couldn’t plan for was my opponent’s army composition. I knew Chaos have no shooting units and deal only deadly melee hits. I hoped my poisoned arrows, acidic spits and heavy bolts would make it easier for my melee units to hold off the Chaos horde.

Deployment

12 units! I saw a dozen units in front of me, whilst I had just 10 ( 3 of them skink units). Bloodletters, Chaos warriors, Chariots, Spawns, Chaos Knights, Dragon Ogres... and of course a BloodThirster. Surprisingly he hired a Halfling Hotpot and brought in a Level 2 Sorcerer. The future looked bleak.

I had to deploy first and I placed the most obvious: the Temple Guards at the centre back. Chaos started being positioned in left to right sequence and the horizon was starting to look quite dark. After placing the back regiments I positioned the two skink units in an arrowhead formation (my other army is Bretonnia). My opponent remarked that I could position my units up to the marked 18” spot. I nodded smugly. When I came to position my second Salamander (the first was already enjoying the wet swamp) I waited to see where he’d put his second chariot (his first was in line with the Swamp). He chose to place it on the other side, so I completed my symmetrical deployment placing my Salamander right across. My spitters where to weaken the chariots and possibly get the charge, allowing the other units to flank the enemy. The Chaos hounds were placed pointing towards a small passage left between the swamp and a clump of trees so I closed that up with the third Skink unit and to balance the field, I placed Asarnil on the other side, behind the Salamander.

Across the battlefield, the whole horizon from one side to the other, the Prophets of Death stood side by side, ready for onslaught. I could see that the positioning of the units was quite symmetrical with Chaos Knights and Bloodletters making up a tough centre flanked by lesser Chaos Warrios, themselves flanked by Chariots. At the edge, the left sported a unit of Chaos Hounds whilst Dragon Ogres and a couple of Spawns unbalanced the weight of the army to the right.

Behind them, up on the hill, the stone thrower and sorcerer looked down onto their comrades’ backs.

Magic and Who Goes First

My Slann Mage Priest concentrated profusely the night before the battle and he was rewarded with 4 interesting spells:

1) The Sign of Amul (D3 Re-rolls)

2) Upgraded Fire Magic Missile 2D6 S4 hits

3) Comet of Casandora (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I Wonder when You’ll come!)

4) Wall of Fire (Proved to be decisive)

On the die roll, I got to choose who starts first, and I chose to let Chaos start. He was startled at the choice but I had my reasons:

1) I wanted to see in which manner his straight frontline would attack. Would it transform into a wedge shape or maybe units stay back to flank in the future. I had to wait and see.

2) Who goes last has the last turn of the battle – where events can turn the game into your favor (that final charge!)

3) I wasn’t planning to move anyway – so why waste a turn…

Battle Report

TURN ONE

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN	None
CHARGES	None
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT	Full Advance
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Cast: Dispelled Forked Lightning: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Halfling Hot Pot: Guess 36” @ Salamander, under shot
COMBAT	None
COMMENTS	The mass advance for Khorne starts.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	None
CHARGES	None
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT	Defensive –Dragon crossed to the left
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: failed cast Comet of Casandora: cast: Dispelled using scroll
SHOOTING	Salamander @ Chariot: failed Stegadon Bolt @ Bloodletters: failed Salamander @ Chaos Knights: failed
COMBAT	None
COMMENTS	I waited to see the Chaos advance. Seeing an imbalance on the left hand side, I positioned my Dragon to attack his weakest point: his left flank.

TURN TWO

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN	None
CHARGES	None
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT	Full Advance
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Cast: Dispelled Fork Lightning: Cast : Dispelled
SHOOTING	Halfling Hot Pot @ Salamander: Undershot
COMBAT	None
COMMENTS	Obviously I couldn’t compete with his magic. Range guessing for war machines is not one of my strong points.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	None
CHARGES	Dragon charges Chaos Warriors; reaction: fled Dragon re-charges Chaos Chariot; reaction: fled
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT	Saurus and Temple Guards moved in to flank the Saurus warriorson the right
MAGIC	Fire Blast @ Aspiring Champion: Cast: Dispelled Comet of Casandora: Cast: Dispelled using scroll Wall of Fire @ Chaos Knights: Cast: Daemon steed = 1 wound
SHOOTING	Skinks @ Chaos Hounds: 1 died Stegadon Bolt @ Bloodletters: failed Salamander @ Chaos Warriors: 4 died; passed panic test
COMBAT	None
COMMENTS	The single but decisive successful spell of the Lizardmen: the Wall of Fire delayed the arrival of the feared Chaos Knights.

TURN THREE

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN	Chaos Hounds passed Dragon Terror test
CHARGES	Chaos Hounds @ Dragon; Reaction: Dragon fled Chaos Hounds Re-Charge Skinks; Reaction Stand & Shoot; 2 hounds died but passed panic test Bloodthirster @ Dragon; Reaction: Dragon kept fleeing Bloodthirster Re-Charge Stegadon; Reaction: Stegadon fled Chaos Chariot @ Skinks: Reaction: Stand & Shoot Dragon Ogres @ Skinks: Reaction: Stand & Shoot
RALLYING	Chaos Chariot Rallied Chaos Warriors Rallied
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Failed Fork Lightning: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING
COMBAT	Chaos Chariot killed 4 Skinks Dragon Ogres killed 6 Skinks (all) Chariot & Ogres charge Salamander Chaos Hounds killed 2 Skinks
COMMENTS	Chariot on 3 dice failed to reach 5 inches to the salamander !! This misfortune greatly weakened the western battle and a retreat on that side was inevitable; provoking one of the largest battles.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	Skinks fled due to fleeing friendly units Skinks (engaged to Hounds) fled due to Bloodthirster Terror test Chaos Hounds stood ground
CHARGES	Saurus @ Chaos Chariot: Reaction: Fled Saurus Re-Charge @ Dragon Ogres Temple Guards @ Dragon Ogres
RALLYING	Dragon Rallied
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Cast: 3 Re-Rolls Comet of Casandora: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Salamander @ Bloodthirster: failed
COMBAT	Dragon Ogres kill Salamander Saurus Hero @ Dragon Ogres: Wound saved Saurus @ Dragon Ogres: 1 Wound Dragon Ogres fled, pursuit, Slann/Saurus Charge Chaos Warriors
COMMENTS	The Skink screen managed to cushion the Chaos charge down the right flank, thus my Saurus and Temple Guards could charge and send back the Chaos advance.

TURN FOUR

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN
CHARGES	Chaos Spawn @ Saurus Bloodletters @ Slann/Temple Guards Bloodthirster @ Stegadon
RALLYING	Chariot fled off battlefield
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Failed Forked Lightning @ Dragon: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Halfling Hot Pot: Misfire: Lost this turn and the next
COMBAT	Slann kill 1 Chaos Warriors Temple Guards kill 1 Chaos Warriors Saurus Hero killed 1 Chaos Spawn Bloodletters kill 3 Temple Guards Chaos Spawn Broken (Error: Unbreakable) Bloodthirster killed 3 skinks & caused 4 wounds on Stegadon Stegadon caused 1 wound @ Bloodthirster Stegadon fled; Bloodthirster pursuit & destroyed Stegadon
COMMENTS	Core units have been losing ground due to the Slann/Temple Guards Stubborn combo. Meanwhile it might have been an error to charge the Stegadon instead of the dragon with the Bloodthirster, although the outcome would have been risky.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	Skinks fled off battlefield
CHARGES	Dragon @ Chaos Knights Kroxigor @ BloodLetters
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Cast Comet of Casandora: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Salamander @ Chariot: 1 wound
COMBAT	Asarnil/Dragon @ Daemon Steed:1 wound; Dragon broken & fled Saurus & Temple Guards killed 3 Chaos Warriors Bloodletters killed 4 Temple Guards Bloodletters lose combat, flee & destroyed by Temple Guards Chaos Warriors fled; Saurus charged Dragon Ogres (flank)
COMMENTS	Once more the Dragon is on the run! Meanwhile the attack on the right flank proceeds forward. The Kroxigor join the attack and manage to help break the BloodLetters who are crushed under the Temple Guards.

TURN FIVE

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN	Correction of error: Chaos Spawn rallied & can charge
CHARGES	Chaos Chariot @ Skinks: Stand & Shoot Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards Chaos Spawn @ Saurus (flank): Saurus pass panic test
RALLYING	Chaos Warriors rallied
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Failed Forked Lightning: Failed
SHOOTING	Skinks: Stand & Shoot: Chariot 1 wound
COMBAT	Aspiring Champion @ Kroxigor: 1 wound Chaos Knights @ Kroxigor: 1 Kroxigor died Chaos Steeds @ Kroxigor: 1 wound Kroxigor @ Chaos Knights: 2 wounds Kroxigor Break Test: Not broken Saurus Hero @ Dragon Ogre: 1 wound Chaos Spawn @ Saurus: 1 died Saurus @ Chaos Spawn: 1 wound Dragon Ogres Broken Chaos Warriors passed panic test Chaos Chariot Impact Hits @ Skinks: 5 died Chaos Chariot Crew @ Skinks: 1 died Chaos Chariot Steeds @ Skinks: 1 died Skinks Broken & fled; Chariot pursuit Dragon fled Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards: 2 wounds saved Chaos Warriors @ Slann: 2 wounds Temple Guards lose combat but not broken
COMMENTS	Finally my Knights enter the fray to hold some ground in the midst of many fallen warriors. Ogres flee but the Spawn do a good job to hold the enemies as they are unbreakable.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	None
CHARGES	Kroxigor @ Chaos Knights
RALLYING	Dragon rallied
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: Cast: 1 re-roll Comet of Casandora: Cast: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Skinks @ Chaos Warriors: Saved Salamander @ Chaos Hounds: 1 died; remaining Hound fled
COMBAT	Chaos Spawn @ Saurus: 1 died Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards: No wounds Temple Guards @ Chaos Warriors: 2 died Slann @ Chaos Warriors: 1 died Lizardmen lost but not broken Chaos Knights @ Kroxigor: No wounds Chaos Steeds @ Kroxigor: No wounds Kroxigor @ Chaos Knights: 1 died Kroxigor lost combat but not broken
COMMENTS	Phew! A Dragon saved by a skink!

TURN SIX

PLAYER	Chaos
START OF TURN	Chaos Hound fled battle
CHARGES	Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards Chaos Chariot @ Dragon Bloodthirster @ Kroxigor (rear);Kroxigor passed fear & panic test
RALLYING	Dragon Ogres rallied
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: failed Forked Lightning: Dispelled
SHOOTING	Halfling Hot Pot @ Salamander: Overshot
COMBAT	Chaos Chariot @ Dragon: 1 wound Chaos Chariot Crew @ Asarnil: 1 wound Chaos Chariot Steeds @ Dragon: No hits Asarnil @ Chariot: No hits Dragon @ Chariot: 2 wounds: Chariot Destroyed Bloodthirster @ Kroxigor: 3 died Chaos Knights @ Kroxigor: 1 wound Kroxigor fled: Bloodthirster & Knights pursuit; Killed Kroxigor Bloodthirster @ Chaos Knights charge Salamander Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards: No wounds Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards: 1 died Chaos Warriors @ Slann: saved Temple Guards @ Chaos Warriors: No wounds Slann @ Chaos Warriors: 1 died Temple Guards lost combat but not broken Chaos Spawn @ Saurus: 2 died; Spawn lost but unbreakable
COMMENTS	Bloodthirster finally goes on a killing spree again and kills 3 Kroxigors (with 3 wounds each), ending the eastern stalemate and totally winning this quarter when later destroyed the salamander.

PLAYER	Lizardmen
START OF TURN	Skinks fled off table
CHARGES	None
RALLYING	None
MOVEMENT
MAGIC	Sign of Amul: failed
SHOOTING	Skinks @ Halfling Hot Pot: failed
COMBAT	Bloodthirster @ Salamander: Salamander died, 2 Skinks died Chaos Knights @ Skinks: Remaining 2 Skinks died Chaos Warriors @ Temple Guards: No wounds Chaos Warriors @ Slann: No wounds Temple Guards @ Chaos Warriors: No wounds Temple Guards @ Chaos Warriors: Saved Chaos Spawn @ Saurus: Saved Saurus @ Spawn: 1 wound
COMMENTS	Whilst the Salamander dies, The Dragon takes a defensive position on the right flank, satisfied with the result.

Victory Points

Lizardmen	Points	Chaos	Points
Units Killed	759	Units Killed	967
Killed Enemy General	-	Killed Enemy General	-
Captured Unit Standards	200	Captured Standards	-
Captured Battle Standard	-	Captured Battle Standard
Quarters		Quarters	200
Total	959	Total	1167

Point Difference = 208 points for Chaos

Result for a 2500 pt Army battle: DRAW

General Comments:

Chaos: What a battle ! It was fun and unpredictable till the end, and I think that a draw is well deserved, although if some errors were avoided, the story would have been different. Six units of armies fighting each other in the centre were (if in real life) epic, including a general, core, special and rare units. My errors included the charge of the Bloodthirster against the Stegadon instead of the Dragon. Asarnil and the Dragon were worth almost twice the Stegadon (points). Also the hiring of the Halfling Hot Pot was a mistake. Chaos do not need ranged attacks, especially those of Khorne. And I’m not great in guessing range. I was unlucky with the first chariot; moving only 5 inches with 3 dice and therefore being charged, losing, and a whole retreat on the western side was on its way. So were the Bloodletters, which couldn’t do better against an overwhelming number of units, had to flee, and moving a paltry number of inches and were destroyed. They were worth 430 points, and paid greatly for their loss. My magic was a pathetic joke to the powerful Slann Mage, but surprisingly I dispelled 90 % of his spells and not a single comet descended.

Lizardmen: Must be one of the nicest games I ever played! Very little magic and much combat: SIX units fighting in the same combat, over 25 6s on a d6 and a successful implementation of the original plan which acquired me a draw – but stopped the Chaos horde from going onward.

In the first few turns I realized that I could have and possibly handle heavy fighting on the right flank (Dragon Ogres and Chaos Spawns against 20 Saurus helped by Temple Guards), whilst the left flank, with the swamp and trees, would best be avoided. So I immediately flew the Dragon over onto the left to help stop the advance and fight before the swamp. But on charging, the Chaos Warriors and Chariot chose to flee – Asarnil ending up solo in between the two clashing armies.

On being charged by the Chaos Hounds, he took the occasion to flee back behind the frontline.

The dragon’s movements caused an imbalance in my army deployment: the right flank was wide open and the lone Salamander was quite nervous. Thus I brought the Skinks as a screen in front of it and moved my Saurus and Temple Guards to the left to bring up the rear. The Slann Mage, now clear of the Stegadon managed to cast the single successful spell in the whole battle: A Wall of Fire in front of the Chaos Knights. With that, the whole left half of the Chaos army was in disarray: the Chaos Hounds alone in the middle, the Chariot and Chaos Warrios fleeing back, and the Knights held up by fire.

This allowed me to concentrate on the right flank where my skinks were overrun by the chariot and Dragon Ogres. But only the latter managed to charge the Salamander. I counter-charged with my Saurus and Temple Guards, causing the Chariot to flee of the battlefield and the Dragon Ogres, after killing the Salamander, were pursuit by the Temple Guards. The resulting fray was my two Saurian armies side by side against the Chaos Spawn, Chaos Warriors, Dragon Ogres and the BloodLetters flanking my TGs. My Kroxigors then flanked the BloodLetters who broke and were destroyed by the Slann and his Temple Guards. The Kroxigors were held up by the Chaos Knights (who had gotten round the Wall of Fire (from the wrong side (the left))) and then broken after the BloodThirster, fresh from killing my Stegadon, charged them in the rear. The two Chaos units destroyed the remaining Kroxigor (3 Kroxigors died to the BT) and then overrun the Salamander in the Swamp. The latter had just spit at and killed another hound and the remaining hound fled off the battlefield (the other three had succumbed to poisoned arrows). My Temple Guards now faced the Chaos Warriors that had fled the dragon and were also flanked by the remaining Chaos Warrios from the second regiment but held strong until the end. The Saurus Warriors flanked the Dragon Ogres and sent them packing whilst they hacked away at the remaining Chaos Spawn but to no avail. Meanwhile Asarnil on his Dragon, rallying after losing a fight with the Chaos Knights, was charged by the chariot which had fled him in the beginning. The Chariot was smashed to pieces by the Elven Hero.

Basically I managed to convert the incoming attack from a horizontal line

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to a diagonal frontline

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\

\

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which was then tackled from the bottom right upwards…

All in all, although the losses were many, the turn out was quite a lengthy battle (6 hours) with much fighting, flankings, and luck… all to end in a draw – the Chaos Horde was not decimated but at least stopped!

Xuttu-Kah is safe!