Thursday, October 31, 2013

Hobby Update - Warpfire Sun Dragon

Well, didnt get it done. But oh so close. Just a wash, some lenses and the flame and baubles. 



Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Hobby Update - Warpfire Sun Dragon

I gotta say, I am enjoying this painting project. 


This was a mid session shot. Wing is done, flesh is done. Spikes missing wash and scales barely based. 

 
Close up of the finished wing, I added a second lighter center. 

Tonight I finished the dragon, and hopefully tomorrow I will complete the rider. The base will wait to be done with the air force. 






And then with a little time left, I cheated and started work on the rider… but that picture will wait for tomorrow. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hobby Update - Warpfire Sun Dragon

Some more work done on the skin. Washed and first dry brushed the wing membrane. Bases and drybrushed the stone. Finished the flesh in the mouth and based the teeth along with some of the horns and talons. 

Next time, finish wings and teeth/nails. Maybe the scales as well. I think I will hold the rider for last. 




North Star – The Missions


It is important to note that in all missions victory is based on victory points, with a scaled system.  Major Objectives are always worth 300 points while Minor Objectives are always worth 150.

Difference in VP
Winner BP
Loser BP
0-100
10
10
101-300
11
9
301-500
12
8
501-700
13
7
701-900
14
6
901-1100
15
5
1101-1300
16
4
1301-1500
17
3
1501-1700
18
2
1701-1900
19
1
1901+
20
0

So that’s 100 for the win, and 200 for every additional battle point.  That makes my general worth 2.5 points, each of my characters worth 1 and everyone else worth almost a point themselves.

Round 1 – Hammer Time!
Deployment: Dawn Attack
Special Rules: Units and Characters with fortitude do not role for deployment.
Major Objective: Destroying (not on table) 4 core units, or all if less than 4.
Minor Objective: Destroying 3 heroes, or all if less than 3.

For the bonus objectives, I have 2 heroes, though with the wounds of 3 for my opponent to try to take out.  For the major, my opponent will have to track down two of my dark riders – I’m sure they will get the harpies (heck, I’ll probably find good reasons to give them away).  For deployment, I’ll have 5 rolls to make, hydras, harpies and my level 2 caster.  My only concern would be the location of the hydras, as I like to keep them both close to my general and bsb… but only rolling both a 1 and a 2 will prevent me from doing that.


Round 2 – Hammer Storm!
Deployment: Blood and Glory
Special Rules: Hammer Storm – Any wizard can add D3 Power or Dispel dice and the unit (or wizard if solo) takes D6 S5 hits.
Major Objective: Break your opponent
Minor Objective: Kill a channeling model

I’m not sure in this mission I will take advantage of the special rule.  If I do, it will likely be more for the dispel dice than the power dice.  Even with my pendant, it’s a risk as I can’t just give up a few models in a unit.  It’s likely that if I get broken I’ll have already lost, but maybe with some lucky death magic and some choice shooting I can get those bonus points.  I expect a channeling model’s death will be easy.


Round 3 – Time to Go Get Hammered
Deployment: Meeting Engagement
Special Rules: Objective in center of table.  Don’t use meeting engagement deployment
Major Objective: Control Objective Marker by having most models within 3”.  Monstrous counts as 3.
Minor Objective: Buy your opponent a Beer, or other drink of their choice.

This major objective could be hard to accomplish.  I just don’t have the models to compete.  I may have to accept a smaller win or tie if they have a large unit to plop down.  I can try to use the hydras to encourage the unit going elsewhere.  The minor objective is a gimmie, and will probably be the only beer I’ll drink all weekend.


Round 4 – Hammerin’ Hangover
Deployment: Battleline
Special Rules: A scoring unit has a full rank with 1 command model or character.  Skirmishers have 5 models and 1 command or character.
Major Objective: Have a scoring unit in opponent’s deployment zone.
Minor Objective: Your opponent doesn’t have a scoring unit in your deployment zone.

This one could be hard to earn, and I’m sure I won’t be able to earn the minor.  Technically, I’ll have 5 units that can score, but the dark riders are just 2 wounds each away from losing the ability to score.  I’ll also have to remember to reform the unit for the final turn.


Round 5 – Lay Down the Hammer!
Deployment: Battle for the Pass
Special Rules: Two objectives on midline.  No impassible terrain special rules of Battle for the Pass.  Night Fall – After game 5, game ends on 1 or 2.  After turn 6 game ends on 1 through 4.  Game automatically ends after turn 7.  Same scoring unit rules as Round 4.
Major Objective: Control both objectives with same control rules as round 3.
Minor Objective: Control more quarters.  Scoring units control or contest – all or nothing.

This mission will be as hard round 3, with the advantage that they will have to split their force.  My best chance would be to deny one and contest every objective and since I only need the one model in the quarter.

Hobby Update - Warpfire Sun Dragon

I decided to take a break from the assmbly (I am not getting distracted) and work on a little paint work. Its on the dragon, so still in he realm of thid high elves project. 

Origionally it as just going to be last friday and then back to the airships. I started off trying to paint the dragon green. Not warpstone green but as an actual green dragon. I was dumb about it and painted a large portion of the model before actually testing what the rest of the colors would look like. I didnt like it. So now Ive spent my little weekend time and tonight redeming myself. 

Im sorry for no pictures, but it was bad. I snapped these two as I was finishribg up for to ight and only jos that the green experiment has been fully oblitrated. 



This new scheme will have the flesh be dark, black to grey. The mouth will be red and the scales warpstone. The wing membrane will be a pale purple flesh. The rider and stone will be the boring tiebin to match the rest of my army. 

Im not sure I will stick with it until the mosel is completed, but probably only the week until I go back to the airships. I need to finish at least the core assemble so I can measure for a custom battle foam brick. Im hoping to fit all three airships and the dragon onto one sheet. That dragon needs like a 6.5" block, which is already custom size I will still need to fit the other 1000 points from my 2500 point prospective HE list. 

Sunday, October 27, 2013

October Fantasy Contest of Champions

Well, in the end I didnt play in the CoC. There were 21 players and because I often act as the rules judge I went ahead and dropped to actually be a rules judge. I had a good time, but it would have been nice to play. NorthStar is soon, so Ill get my fix.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

October Fantasy Contest of Champions – Preparation


For October I threw my list together last minute.  I used a template from a local player’s list that I’ve talked about before, and then I lowered the power level down a bunch to make it full composition.  The template list uses magic and a whole bunch more magic items, including all the leadership control Skaven has.  I don’t like Ruin magic so that was an easy drop (missing scroll does hurt though), and both the points in magic items and the leadership control hurts the comp.

So I went hard core points denial with everything going into one big unit and lots of chaff.  Also gutter runners to clear out warmachines and assassins which can either go in for points denial or go solo for hunting.  Odds are the little ones will stick in the unit with maybe the buffed one going on his own – as that worked out fairly well at Infernal Zoo.

Warlord, General, Bonebreaker, Charmed Shield, Relic Blade, Luckstone
Warlord, Bonebreaker, shield, sword of might, warpstone armor, dawnstone, other trickster’s shard
Warlord, Bonebreaker, blade of corruption, enchanted shield

Assassin, Weeping Blade, Potion of Strength
Assassin
Assassin
Warlock Engineer, Crown of Command
Chieftain, BSB, great weapon, Obsidian Loadstone, Ironcurse Icon

45 Stormvermin, Full Command, Banner of Eternal Flame, Doom Flayer
45 Slaves, Musician, shields
20 Slaves
20 Slaves
20 Slaves
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster
5 Giant Rats, Packmaster

10 Gutter Runners, Slings, Poison
10 Gutter Runners, Slings, Poison
10 Gutter Runners, Slings, Poison


The CoCs doesn’t usually have any missions dealing with banners so I’m not worried about only have 4 fortitude.  My general gets the charmed shield to help diminish the risk of him getting cannon sniped should I not go first (and that’s unlikely given my large number of drops).  Fully character bunkered, the stormvermin would be hosting 1552 points, plus 225 in banners and general.  Basically means if I lose this unit I am getting a 0 unless it’s done a massive amount of damage before it dies.  Good thing the rest of my unit is chaff, including being able to dart out the assassins and engineers as last minute chaff should I need to.  Heck, I could explode all the characters out if things are looking really bad.

Friday, October 25, 2013

What If Bretonnia – 2500 points


So I don’t always just play around with the best books or the newest books (often the same).  I had been playing with this one for a while.  I’m not fixed on the character magic items, but I do like the spread and speed of the army.

Bretonnian Lord, general, virtue of heroism, sword of striking, charmed shield, dawnstone, the other trickster’s shard, royal Pegasus
Prophetess of the Lady, warhorse, barding, level 4, lore of beasts, silver mirror, talisman of preservation

Paladin, BSB, dragonhelm, luckstone, wyrmlance
Paladin, heartwood lance, enchanted shield, dragonbane gem, royal Pegasus
Paladin, lance, shield
Damsel of the lady, lore of beasts, dispel scroll, barding

9 knights of the Realm, full command, banner of swiftness
8 knights of the Realm, full command, standard of discipline
6 Knights Errant, full command, errantry banner

5 mounted yeoman, musician, banner
5 mounted yeoman, musician, banner
5 mounted yeoman, musician, banner
4 Pegasus Knights, full command
4 Pegasus Knights, full command

While I really like Pegasus knights, they are freaking expensive.  Each of those units is just shy of 250 points.  This really shows how the books are dated.  I think the list probably needs some tweaking, but as I don’t actually plan to play it I’m not too worried.  I’ve seen people play similar lists in the past, though not recently.  I really like the banners on the yeoman, but I do play in events that reward mobile fortitude/command.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Hobby Update - Skryre Air Fleet

Only had a few minutes tonight to fit in hobby. Just have to decide if I glue or magnatize. For the High Elves I dont need him on foot but I suppose he could die first. Guess I could always use him some other time. 



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Hobby Update - Skryre Air Fleet

Once again, back to my daily hobby time. First I installed the shaft onto the chasie and while that was drying I put up the pin work for the propeller. The hole it came with only needed a little widening. I leveled the inner plastic rod and drilled in a space for the pin. 

Birthday candles? Hehe

Once again forced to move on while glue dries (so annoying), I moved back to the steam system. Added the valve and wires. 


Next… installation. 

After drying… again… I will wrap the wires up to the plastic and then will add wires from plastic on the top part up to the propeller.  In the mean time, here are a few picks of everything put together. 




With everthing dry I get to move on. I start back up by wrapping and glueing the first set of cables.


Next I want to set up the fighting platform for my warlord… i mean high elf anointed. Going through my stuff and i find this platform from an unused bell kit. 


I like the runes the platform, but it doesnt fit well so i go to the dremel and hope I dont mess up this hard to replace bit. 


When I skaven it up I will go back and cover that ugly set of gaps. 

Still slowely circling through the things that need to be done and spent some time rummaging through my bits box to see if I can make a lord. 

I found:
An army from an isle of blood lord, which will make a nice halbred. Its missing the shoulder so i also grabbed an arm from a stormvermin to harvest. 

A stormvermin for the body. Wanted to use something a little more action, but I was missing some critical parts, like a body. 

Arm of a night runner and an ogre gut plate for a shield. i think i can get a good pose out if it… but not tonight. 


And here is a pic of the general's mount with everything so far set in place. 



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Hobby Update - Skryre Air Fleet

Back at it for my hour a night. Decided to work on the propeller some more. Part of what I want to use this army for involves flying and what with the base and propeller it was getting quite large and I wanted to do what I could to reduce the height. Not actually able to reduce the height based on everything I want I decided to magnetize the propeller. This also gave me a chance to put some bits on the propeller stand. 

Once again going into my extra bits from the Iron Daemon, this time from the cannon kit, I found this nice piece. 


The hole is just the right size for a set of magnets I have and will work great. I decided to remove the stem as it wouldnt fit into the metal rod. I would then pin it with the inner plastic rod. 


Yay magnets.


While waiting for the propeller shaft to dry, I installed the cannons. 


And thats the night. Looks like the propeller shaft will need some balancing when i glue it in. 


Celesticon – Wrap-Up


wow, on the fourth floor is the... fourth floor

So that’s my third Celesticon into the records.  A 2/1 event with my only loss going to the undefeated and second place High Elf army.  I thought he was going to take overall, but it seemed that the final score had equal weighting between the three scores (paint, battle and sports), and not based on the actual points.  Overall ended up going to Michael Hengl of Leadership 2 and his Orcs & Goblins.  I believe he only went 2/1, like me, but the army has a wonderful paint job (not done by Michael, though he is a great painter in his own right) and of course Michael is a fun guy to play.

I’m not sure if I will return to Celesticon next year.  Is 30 bucks to get into the convention for a single day (with no cost for the event).  It also takes a nearly a full tank of gas for the 2.5 hour drive each way.  With none of my group going, that makes for a very long, very early solo drive which is a big drag on the day.  Maybe if I can get some company next year I will be more positive on attendance.

Doc does run a smooth event though, and it would be a shame to miss it as it’s a good time.  It’s just the cost (70+ bucks after gas and food) and the 5 hours in the car.  If I can get someone to split gas, it drops the cost to 50 bucks and helps resolve some of the drive issue.  Three or four people just would help that much more.

I have decided that I dislike the Focus Familiar, though it had an occasional use.  Maybe if I had a wizard in combat more and wanted to cast offensive spells, but it just didn’t trigger enough for me to keep paying for it – back to Tome of Furion.  I have also decided that the level 2 on the metal wizard probably isn’t worth it.  Metal is just to conditional of spell, and Final Transmutation just seems to be a secondary for if my death caster dies.  I just want the Searing Doom and Dispel Scroll, so I will be changing for that.  Maybe I’ll consider a second fighty character, maybe with Ring of Hotek and move the dispel scroll to the Level 4 instead of the tome of furion.  We’ll see.  I think I have 3 events scheduled before the book is gone (Infernal Zoo, a CoC and possibly North Star depending on the timing).  Of them, only North Star and maybe the CoC will have me playing this army.  Infernal Zoo will be some true skaven fun.

Dark Elves – 27w/10l/1d
Ogres – 2w/3l/0d
Skaven – 3w/4l/1d

Singles – 23w/13l/1d
Doubles – 8w/3l/0d

Overall – 32w/17l/2d

Monday, October 21, 2013

Hobby Update - Skryre Air Fleet

Back to work after a successful swap meet where I managed to get rid of about two thirds of what I was hoping to, seeling enough to pay for the previous weeks sale slurge and even got in a few good trades. 

Anyways, first thing I did was lower the rear end some to get a softer angle. Then I installed the tubes and cauldrons onto the other raiders. 


Then I finished off the crew, just needing to put on the stormvermin left arms and heads.


With that done, all I am missing is the propeller set up. Thats going to take a little more work. 

Started with aproximating the height. Went with a level a little higher than the halbreds. 


Im using a metal rod with a plastic core that  also act to pin it into the hole. 


I picked up a few propellers at the local hobby shop. Im going to mess them up as part of the finishing touches. 



To make the thing run I need steam power. Luckily I saved some parts from when I demolished the doom wheels for the Iron Daemon I saved the half I had clipped off. 


Saturday, October 19, 2013

Hobby Update - Skryre Air Fleet

Instead of hobbying last night I organized my hobby room. Feeling much better now. Got a bunch of stuff set aside for tomorrows swap meet, mainly my remaining 40k collection. Im hoping to at least get back what I spent at last weeks 30 percent sale. I dont think I will, but it will be nice. 

So I snuck in some time this morning and decided to work on the crew. Im thinking three guys per ship, to be painted separately. Stormvermin for the rudder and two crew handling the waste cannon, one with a shovel and one with a  switch. 

To get the spacing idea correct, I also carved out some of the front railing to attach the waste cauldron and the outflow pipe. The gapy areas one each side will get covered up after painting as I want to be able to get some base colors and washes inside before closing it up. 

Here are some pics of assembled crew. 






Im going to have to lessen the angle to which they are flying. 

And the crew will go on somethig like this. 

Also, I worked on my 2000 point version of list a little. If I decide to take them to waaaghpaca that will be the level I would need. The items are different than what I previously posted and I will be adjusting the 2500 level to match at least part way. 

Anointed of Asuryan [210]
+ Charmed Shield [5]
+ Golden Crown of Atrazar [10]
+ Star Lance [30]
+ The Other Trickster's Shard [15]
= 270
Flamespyre Phoenix
= 225

Dragon Mage of Caledor [350]
+ Enchanted Shield [5]
+ Dispel Scroll [25]
+ Relic Blade [10]
+ Luckstone [5]
+ Potion of Foolhardiness [5]
+ Level 2 Wizard [35]
+ Dragon armour [10]
= 445

6 Ellyrian Reavers [96]
+ musician [10]
+ standard bearer [10]
+ spears; bows [18]
= 134
6 Ellyrian Reavers [96]
+ musician [10]
+ standard bearer [10]
+ spears; bows [18]
= 134
6 Ellyrian Reavers [96]
+ musician [10]
+ standard bearer [10]
+ spears; bows [18]
= 134
5 Ellyrian Reavers [80]
+ musician [10]
+ standard bearer [10]
= 100
5 Ellyrian Reavers [80]
+ musician [10]
+ standard bearer [10]
= 100

Flamespyre Phoenix
= 225
Flamespyre Phoenix
= 225

1,992 points

As my friends have been quick to point out its not a top end list, but im still not worried about going crazy on the tournament side of things.

Celesticon – Round 3 – Nate Ramirez – Vampire Counts


The Mission: Battleline

The List
Vampire Lord, General, Aura of Dark Majesty, Barded Nightmare, Level 4, Lore of Vampires, Quickblood, Shield, Armor of Destiny, Ogre Blade

Necromancer, Level 2, Lore of Vampires, Dispel Scroll, Ruby Ring of Ruin
Necromancer, Level 1, Lore of Vampires

35 Crypt Ghouls
5 Dire wolves
5 Dire wolves
37 Zombies, banner
34 Zombies, banner

9 Black Knights, full command, lances, banner of the barrows
4 Crypt Horrors
4 Crypt Horrors
2 Fellbats
2 Fellbats
2 Fellbats

Terrorgheist
Varghulf

Nate started off our game by telling me he is a newer player.  I would have to say, that by looking at this list I would have disagreed.  I think this is a really well balanced list.  I think that if Nate sticks with this list, once he picks up more experience he will do really well.  I think the only reason Nate didn’t beat me was due to some of the choices he made.  He and I talked about it afterwards, and I think next time he will get a solid victory.

Magic
For magic I picked up searing doom and transmutation of lead for my metal caster.  For Death I picked up Spirit Leech, carass, soul blight and doom and darkness (once again, would have dropped but I rolled that damn fear spell).  I miss tome of furion.

Nate took Raise Dead, Gaze of Nagash, and Hellish vigor on his level 4 (yes, I know, that’s 3… be patient).  His level 2 took wind of death.  All three wizards took invocation (see, I can count!).

I wasn’t too worried about his magic, just the damn healing.  Gaze could also be something I wouldn’t like.  He could raise as many zombies as he liked; without purple sun I couldn’t touch those units.

Deployment
For deployment Nate leaves me space on the left for my shades (very nice of him), but in order to use it I would have to move through both units of zombies and the ghouls.  No Thanks! But good play as it blocked off a bunch of the board for me.  Fortunately, those zombies would sit there all game, only moving up the few inches needed to grow larger.  The center of the table consisted of the knight unit, flanked on both sides by the crypt horrors and all the chaff.  The terrorgeist took the right flank, pushing out my shades.

Having like half his drops, I went with my normal split, dark riders everywhere, hydras and characters in the center.  With the terrorgeist outside of the general’s 12” bubble, I put my shades up just outside of 18” of the terrorgeist, free from screams but also in range to step up and open up with both assassins should I get to go first.  I vanguard up, keeping movement in mind and getting into fire positions.  I wanted to shoot the fellbats, so not having that -1 for movement was key to compensate for skirmish.

Once again, I don’t get to go first… BAH! For the third time in a row.





Turn 1 – Vampire Counts
Nate advances strongly, putting his chaff way out in the open, all angled towards his center.  He said that he normally uses his chaff to funnel to his knights, horrors and terrorgeist; and that’s what it looked like he was trying to do.  I think he was doing it a little early, and trying to funnel too many units at once and didn’t set up his units to really take advantage of it.

He rolls an 8/4 magic phase.  I dispel Gaze at a unit of dark riders.  I allow hellish vigore on the terrorgeist (not being afraid of reroll wound on 2s any more than just wounding on 2s).  He fails to raise dead.  I then don’t care about adding zombies to the two bunker units – so many that he hits the board edge.  I can see this being his normal tactic, but I was obviously not in a position to threaten them so it seemed kind of a waste.

Scream is out of range and there is no combat.





Turn 1 – Dark Elves
Since it was my goal to kill all his chaff on this round, I accept his invite to charge.  Harpies go into the dogs up front and center.  The hydra goes in some bats, the shades go into some dogs, and the other shades into bats.  No having shades to shoot the terrorgeist with sucked, but I had this unit of dark riders on the hill so I charge forward to see if I can’t get lucky with some static combat and at least knock his scream down for later turns and shooting clean up.

I make sure to move my BSB into a position so that every combat gets his benefit for the fear tests.  I also try to chaff up the knights, knowing that the Varghulf causes terror and my harpies will be on their own.

I roll a 7/5 magic phase.  He dispels my metal casters power of darkness.  I fail a 3 die searing doom on the knights.  I then get of soulblight into one of the shade combats.

I shoot with what little shooting I have left and put 1 wound on the left crypt ghouls.

In combat I blow through all the chaff, only losing 1 harpy.  I don’t over run, and since my charges hasn’t been that far he didn’t really suck me in much.  In the terrorgeist combat I manage to put 2 wounds through, and lose 2 but thanks to the banner, hill and charge I put 3 more wounds onto the beast.





Turn 2 – Vampire Counts
My prediction comes to pass and the Varghulf terrors away the blocking harpies.  It then redirects into the other unit of harpies, which also fail their terror test.  The hydra flees from the knights, which redirect to push the second unit of harpies even farther back.  One of the crypt horrors charge the harpies again, but fail to redirect.  All of his charges now fail thanks to the single unit of harpies being so far away – but they all charge at the same target, keeping their line fairly well.

A 5/3 magic phase sees me allowing gaze of nagash on the BSB, which he charmed shields and saves all wounds.  I then fail to stop a bubbled hellish vigor (which misses the terrorgeist).
The terrorgeist, now neutered, fails to wound.

In combat, my 4 dark riders roll 4 1s to hit.  The terrorgeist kills 1 dark rider.  Wound versus banner make means my musician wins me combat and the nasty crumbles to dust at the cost of half a dark rider unit (yay!).






Turn 2 – Dark Elves
With the chaff all gone, I have no charges to start my second turn.

One of the harpy units runs off the table, but the other – and the hydra – rallies.

A mighty 2/1 magic phase sees me cast power of darkness for +3 dice (5/1).  I then put it all into searing doom on the knights which draws out the dispel scroll.

3 dark rider units fail to even wound a crypt horror.  The egg likewise doesn’t do any wounds.  The assassin and shades shows them how it’s done by putting 5 wounds on the left horrors.





Turn 3 – Vampire Counts
The knights charge a harpy unit, which flees to the table edge.  There is then a redirection into a hydra.
An 8/6 magic phase sees me dispelling hellish vigor into the hydra combat.  I also dispel raise dead.  I also him to invoke in the corner to put 11 zombies onto each unit.

In combat, the hydra takes 2 wounds and then gets run down after doing nothing.  He overruns into the fleeing harpies, killing them and reforming to face my army (with a hydra on his back).






Turn 3 – Dark Elves
I charge a unit of shades and my BSB into a unit of crypt horrors.  I do not put my hydra into the rear of the knights, as tempting as it was.

I roll an 11/6 magic phase.  I spirit leech the Varghulf, which he allows.  I get a lucky 7 wounds through and he dies.  I get back 2 dice (13/6).  I then irresistibly cast soulblight on the horrors.  It costs me my death wizard.  He then dispels searing doom.

In shooting I do 1 wound to the other crypt horrors.  The hydra blows kisses, killing 3 knights.  1 put a wound on the fellbats hiding in the back.

In combat the shades get 4 wounds through, losing a shade.  He pops and I overrun out of the knights vision.





Turn 4 – Vampire Counts
With no charges available, Nate moves the ghouls to try to block off the far dark rider unit.  The bats keep trying to hide.  He rolls a 9/2 magic phase and gets off raise dead, putting 14 zombies in front of the hydra (he only has 12 models left though).





Turn 4 – Dark Elves
The hydra takes his challenge and charges into the 12 zombies.  The BSB and shades go into the second horror unit.  I try to put a dark rider unit into the flank (since I won’t have soulblight this time) but they fail their charge.

After he channels 3 times, I get a disappointing 7/9 dice phase.  I throw it all at searing doom, getting my needed 6s and taking off the knights.  I then take off my second wizard thanks to the wonderful warp.

In shooting I manage to put 2 wounds on the general.

The hydra blows through the zombies.  The BSB, shades and Assassin mange to get 3 wounds through, losing 3 shades for their effort.  I win, but leave 4 wounds behind.




Turn 5 – Vampire Counts
Nate moves his general around some.  His ghouls keep trying to pin down that dark rider.

With a 5/4 magic phase he irresistibly casts invocation.  The spell heals a wound on the horrors, and a wound on the general.  He then does a wound to himself with the miscast.  Phew!

In combat, I manage to get 3 wounds through, and the ghouls crumble.




Turn 5 – Dark Elves
On my turn I move around to surround the general from every angle but the ones he can see.  I’m pretty sure that Nate is ready to just pick up his 1 wound general, but I convince him you always need to get the full story.  So we count out the shots to roll them all together.

29 repeater crossbows hit – that’s 2 units of shades, all the remaining dark riders and my BSB.

I manage 7 wounds on his T5.

He makes 3 armor saves.

And all 4 ward saves… poop.

I then shoot with both assassins…

I hit 5 times, wound 4.  He makes 1 armor save… and then only 2 ward saves.

The fell bats then crumble, leaving 2 huge units of zombies and a unit of ghouls.  As I can’t touch those units, and he can no longer touch me, we end the game.

Yuck… two casters sucking themselves into the warp.  Made me grateful that the scaled system only mattered for tiebreaker and not actual placement.