Cancon 2014 Aftermath: Part 2

Here we are again for another segment of my Cancon report. You can read about the first game here. By now it's over 3 weeks ago, and I'm finding I am struggling to remember details. I'm sure I resolved never to leave such things this long again, but sometimes these things are not really within our control. Apologies for any vagueness from here on in. More vague than usual, I mean...

Game 2 – Battleline

Ben Halliday – High Elves

• Anointed on Frostheart Phoenix with Ogre Blade, maybe some other stuff like the Charmed Shield?
• Mage (Level 2, Lore of Shadow) with Dispel Scroll (again, I think...)
• Noble (BSB) on Barded Steed with Dragon Armour, Dawn Stone, Shield, Lance (maybe)
• 13 Archers with Full Command
• 10 Ellyrian Reavers with Full Command
• 9 Silver Helms with Full Command
• 20 Phoenix Guard with Full Command, Razor Standard
• 21 White Lions with Full Command
• 5 Shadow Warriors
• 3 Repeater Bolt Throwers

See what I mean about being vague? Ah well, the main details are there.

The table in all its glory. This is after the Shadow Warriors deployed and the Reavers used their Vanguard move.

The Phoenix lurks in the shadows. Or at least, it likes to think it does. Everyone knows it's there, but they just play along.

Sneaky Shadow Warriors occupy the central house.

The core of my army deployed around the river. My units would spend all game moving and fleeing through it, and passing an impressive number of dangerous terrain tests. The Demigryphs in particular did some good doggy-paddling.

The table had a river running down the centre of it, although at least it ran between the short edges rather than the long ones. It turned out it was a Necrotic Ooze, which meant dangerous terrain and poison attacks. Ben stacked his deployment to my left, whilst I went for something a bit more central, trying to make use of the cover from the buildings, hills and my own armoured units against the nasty bolt throwers. Ben put his Shadow Warriors in the building close to the centre, and vanguarded his Reavers on my right flank (the only thing on that side of the building).

I got the first turn and gambled a bit on my right flank, trying for a long charge with the Flagellants into the Shadow Warriors, and sending my small Knight unit into the Reavers. I got lucky and made both charges (I think the Flagellants needed to roll a 10), and the building was soon mine with dismembered pieces of Shadow Warrior being thrown out the windows soon after the Flagellants arrived at the door.

Wee, first turn charges! It was a good start.

The Knights lost one of their number to a Stand and Shoot reaction from the Reavers, but I managed to hold the combat for a couple of rounds, before Ben had a turn where he rolled really poorly, broke and got run down. This freed up the 4 remaining Knights to wheel around and head for the unprotected Bolt Thrower. Unfortunately 3 of them died to a volley as it turned to protect itself, and the last guy charged in alone and died laughing when one of the crewmen tickled him to death with the fletchings of the bolt in his hand (1+ saves are for the weak).

The Knights celebrate their victory on the hill before swinging about and dying to a couple of casual back-hands from the enemy.

The Flagellants make themselves at home in their new house.

The forces on my left move up, trying to shield the more vulnerable elements from shooting.

On the left I advanced with the Flagellants hiding behind the Demigryphs, who were being bolstered with Wyssan's Wildform to try to make them a less tempting missile target. The High Elf Anointed on his Phoenix tried for a long charge over his lines, but didn't make it and ended up going nowhere. The BSB led the Silver Helms way around to my left flank, looking to avoid an entanglement with my Demigryphs.

The Silver Helms do their best to avoid the battle over on the flank.

I might have tried a charge with the Demigryphs in my second turn, but if I did, I didn't make the distance. My Flagellants left their building facing to my left, looking to try to cause the White Lions some headaches by being in their flank (at this point I foolishly believed my Knights had the Bolt Thrower covered). The White Wolf Knights had moved up to the left of the building, meaning they were also looking at the White Lions, and I would have multiple charge options. Unfortunately the High Elves managed to just see the corner of the Flagellants, then make a moderate charge to get into them, so my trap didn't work quite as hoped. The two units then set about annihilating each other, and after a single round there were only a handful of White Lions left, and less than half the Flagellants remained.

The White Lions make their charge into the Flagellants, although a few died to the river on the way in.

Things had been carefully arranged to do bad things to the White Lions, had they failed the charge. Ah well.

After a single round of combat, the units were somewhat depleted.

Both units then slowed down a bit (what with most of them being dead), but eventually I came out of the combat with 4 models remaining near the end of the game. That was perfect, until that pesky Bolt Thrower lined them up and killed all of them with a single volley. So many points! Stupid Bolt Thrower...

In his second turn, Ben's Phoenix had another go at charging and after his initial target of the Demigryphs fled, he managed to make it into my Arch Lector on his War Altar. The combat was pretty unimpressive on both sides (both of us were tougher than we were dangerous), and I held due to Stubborn. Then I flanked the Phoenix with my Inner Circle Knights, and the combat was over. I left the Phoenix on one wound, it broke and I ran it down. Ben really should have challenged – it would have reduced the damage I was doing (my Knights were buffed and dangerous whilst no single character really was, and he might have been able to bring down a target, and frankly might have held although the BSB was elsewhere).

The Phoenix charges the War Altar, but makes no progress. Then the Knights charged in and broke the deadlock.

The Demigryphs had been the Phoenix's first target, but elected to go for a swim behind my lines instead. Actually, based on the line of my flight I think I fled from the Phoenix Guard when they decided to support the Pheonix - that was the deal breaker. Phoenixes are OK, but not when they bring Guards.

The Phoenix, he is gone. You know why? Didn't bring his Guards. See, it's important. They sat back and watched it happen. Real team players.

Anyway, the enemy general was gone, although it meant my Knights were facing sideways with the Phoenix Guard looking meaningfully at my flank. Being a heroic and courageous type of player, I naturally squealed like a little girl and fled the charge when he declared it. Thankfully he failed the roll on the redirect into the flank of my Flagellants, who had just received the charge from the Silver Helms (they had goofed up and failed the charge the previous turn, and I had returned the favour by failing to charge him instead).

The Silver Helms rolled poorly to stuff up their first charge, and the Flagellants found it too far in return.

Ah, they made it this time. The money is on the table, here. All bets are off. Or under, or something. It's financial support, don't you know. OK, I'm done.

The Silver Helms vs Flagellants was an ugly affair. I had Speed of Light, +1 to hit from the Hurricanum, and the benefits of the Flagellants' own sacrificing. After the first round of combat, 7 of the Elf Knights were dead. They did manage some damage in return and held their position, but the remaining Silver Helms died soon after, leaving only the BSB to fight on. He was supported when the Phoenix Guard flanked the Flagellants on their second attempt, but critically Ben failed to wipe out my unit – he left a single unbreakable Flagellant.

The Silver Helms cop a hiding against some seriously buffed Flagellants, but manage to hold their ground.

The Phoenix Guard are left with a decision: try to rescue the BSB and risk being flanked, or turn and face the mob head-on.

They decide to flank the Flagellants and try to wipe them out...

But a sole survivor holds them up.

This was convenient for me, and really rather bad for him. I sent a unit of buffed up Demigryphs into the flank of the Phoenix Guard and (I think) the Hurricanum into the BSB. The last Flagellant obviously did not survive, but the High Elf BSB perished, and the Phoenix Guard only avoided destruction by outrunning my pursuing Demigryphs.

In the end I had lost both my Flagellant units and the small Knight unit. In return I had killed the Anointed on his Phoenix, the BSB, Silver Helms, White Lions, Shadow Warriors and Ellyrian Reavers. I believe I have the final score more or less correct.

Result: 15-5

So it turns out that my reports are much shorter when I wait long enough that I can barely remember what happened. This is something I should bear in mind for the future. Hopefully the next report will be up sooner rather than later.