This is the fourth part of my report of the recent 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament, Bendigo Besieged. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.
Game 4 - Blood and Glory
Chad James - Empire
- Arch Lector with Great Weapon, Van Horstmann's Speculum, Armour of Destiny
- Battle Wizard Lord (Level 4, Lore of Life)
- Captain of the Empire (BSB) with Full Plate Armour, Enchanted Shield, Ironcurse Icon, Sword of Battle
- Luthor Huss, Prophet of Sigmar
- Battle Wizard (Level 1, Lore of Beasts) on Warhorse with Dispel Scroll
- Master Engineer with Ruby Ring of Ruin
- 38 Halberdiers with Full Command
- Detachment of 5 Archers
- 8 Inner Circle Knights with Lances and Shields, Full Command, Steel Standard
- 10 Archers
- 3 Demigryph Knights with Lances, Standard Bearer, Musician, Gleaming Pennant
- Great Cannon
- 5 Pistoliers
- Celestial Hurricanum
- Helblaster Volley Gun
- Steam Tank
Chad had a mixed arms Empire army with relatively defensive magic in the Lore of Life (especially when he didn't choose The Dwellers Below as one of his spells). My feeling was I probably had the muscle to win the fight provided the artillery didn't cruel me too badly on the way in, and the Steam Tank didn't find a way to ruin my day. I did have 2 copies of Searing Doom, and here it was looking like a very useful spell indeed.
In a change from my normal deployment, I put the Loremaster in the Spearmen to keep him near my key units. The Mage went into the Swordmasters.
I got the first turn, and the game started disastrously for the Empire. Being Blood and Glory, we were deployed a bit closer together than normal. The Phoenix immediately declared a charge on the Pistoliers, who failed their terror test and fled through the Demigryphs. Thanks to the depth of the deployment zone, they didn't actually leave the field - but the Demigryphs did. They had the Gleaming Pennant, which was a good idea with them using their own leadership on the flank. Unfortunately Chad was rolling very high in this first turn, and the reroll didn't help. The Phoenix then redirected into the Archers screening the Empire army, and they chose to flee from them and the Silver Helms, who had also lined them up. The Archers fled through most of their friendly units and off the field, but mercifully nothing else panicked. The Silver Helms redirected onto the Engineer, but didn't make the roll (the Phoenix would have made either charge with its roll).
Having dared to be different and deployed the Mage in the Swordmasters, I then immediately stepped her back into the Phoenix Guard so she could stare at the Steam Tank whilst the Swordmasters made their way around the tower. My attempt to cast Searing Doom failed. In actual fact, it always failed. No, not just in this game - in every game where I tried to cast it. I don't think I ever even made someone dispel it.
Not much moved in Chad's turn. The main focus was trying to bring down the Phoenix - the Steam Tank turned and fired, as well as the artillery on the hill focusing on it. One cannonball failed to wound it, and the other got through but only rolled a single wound. The Volley Gun got a couple more, but it was not enough (and Chad was immediately cursing himself for not aiming it at the Dragon Princes - which is what I would have done - though if it had rolled better and killed the bird, he would obviously have been very comfortable with his choice). Throne of Vines was cast, and it would remain in play for the rest of the game.
Things got grim for the guys on the hill, as the Phoenix and Dragon Princes each claimed a piece of artillery whilst lining up a nice overrun.
I'll be honest, I had forgotten the Master Engineer was sandwiched in between the artillery crew when I lined up the Phoenix. This was OK, I didn't roll well enough to get him to the flank of the Knights anyway. I should have been more careful and less greedy - I could easily have ensured the Dragon Princes hit them in the flank instead of sending them into the front.
The Steam Tank's path was blocked by the detachment of Archers, so I decided to advance more aggressively with the Phoenix Guard, whilst continuing to fumble my spells.
So uhh... Yes, this was my fault. Though it was a little unfortunate. The Archers charged across into the Swordmasters, making a path for the Halberdier block to charge the Phoenix Guard. They would need a 7 on the dice, so I decided the sensible thing was to flee. Unfortunately I only fled 4", which put me at exactly the right distance for the random movement of the Steam Tank to kill me. Sigh.
At least things were still looking promising over here... But that was before the magic phase, when the Inner Circle Knights gained 4 toughness from Flesh to Stone, as well as getting rerolls to wound, and a 5+ ward save in combat. My Dragon Princes had no chance.
Just to be sure that the great Dragon Prince menace would actually be dealt with that turn, Luthor Huss also used his one-off hulk mode to mash my unit to pieces. The Pistoliers had moved across to screen, but this would actually be to my advantage - now my Silver Helms could probably get to the Knights with an overrun, after their buff spells had all worn off.
With the Knights having reformed to put the Phoenix into their front, I couldn't afford to charge with it. The Hurricanum had moved up to protect the flank of the Halberdiers after their failed charge. Chances were that the Phoenix couldn't break it in a turn, so I had a better plan.
Unfortunately my plan required at least an average roll from the Swordmasters. If they'd made it, they would almost certainly have gone through it and into the flank of the Halberdiers - and that would likely have been the game. But I rolled terribly, and we barely staggered forward far enough for the tower to protect our flank from the Steam Tank. Anyway, the Silver Helm portion of the plan at least worked OK. They went through the Pistoliers and made it into the Knights.
I'm missing a photo or two. Chad's magic let him down at this critical moment. He might have gotten a prayer off, but he failed to cast any Life spells and he also forgot that Luthor Huss had a stubborn prayer. As it happened, it didn't matter. My BSB took a wound, My Prince wounded Huss in a challenge but didn't kill him, a few Inner Circle Knights died, and... they rolled double 1s for their break test. Man was that important. I think they lost by 7...
The Halberdiers spun about to ensure their flank was no longer exposed whilst the Steam Tank rumbled toward my Spearmen.
In my turn I went for a hammer blow again. Swordmasters and Phoenix into the Halberdiers. Spearmen tried to get to the Hurricanum, but failed. It meant they were exposed to the Tank, but realistically charging would have been their best escape anyway.
The challenge between Luthor Huss and my Prince continued, and this time I fired up and did 4 wounds, only for Chad to roll this for his saves... The lucky man survived, clearly watched over by Sigmar himself. I think he'd survived 7 blows so far. The Wizard in the unit was less fortunate, and was cut down. The Knights were again beaten handily, and this time they broke. They were 6" from the table edge, and I didn't want to pursue off the field and waste a turn coming back. Chad warned me about the way the dice were going in this game. Did I listen? Noooo. I restrained pursuit, and he immediately fled only 5", stopping right on the edge of the field. They rallied, of course. But only just - nobody seems to remember that musicians help with rallying...
The other combat went pretty well, although I forgot the Wizard Lord was right in front of my Swordmasters and an easy target. Instead we carved into the Halberdiers whilst the Phoenix killed the BSB off the corner. The enemy held thanks to steadfast, but it was looking promising.
So... Things then took a turn when Chad cast an irresistible Flesh to Stone, boosting the unit's toughness to 7. Then he culled the unit with the only thing that could really threaten them - a Dimensional Cascade on the resultant miscast, which savaged both of our regiments and claimed the life of the Wizard Lord himself...
Where did all of my Swordmasters go?
The arrival of the Steam Tank had been expected, but that didn't make it any more fun for my Spearmen.
At least we reformed to face it and fight properly.
We were just starting to dent the thing when somebody decided to get too excited trying to cast Wyssan's Wildform, and blasted most of his loyal unit into oblivion. This was a very bad idea - things had been more or less under control thanks to steadfast, and now there would be no more steadfast.
The Halberdier combat was a desperate struggle for points. All of Chad's efforts were going into trying to finish off the last Swordmaster. I ended up sending in the Prince (there was no room for his unit), and it was enough to help me wipe out the Halberdiers, though the Arch Lector bravely turned and fled, somehow outpacing all of his pursuers.
Meanwhile the Steam Tank spent its last turn hissing steam and not quite wiping out the Spearmen as the driver lost control in the face of mounting damage from the Loremaster. I never did get to grips with Luthor Huss and his remaining Knight friends.
That had been a funny game. We both had a battery of useful spells, neither of us could cast (or control) them when it mattered, things panicked, things fled too slowly... It had certainly been eventful. I had managed to break the Empire army without breaking myself, however. So I got the 500 bonus points on offer.
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