I love the standard bearer model, who is an old classic range Thunderer standard bearer. Such character in the metal models compared to the newer plastic ones (the musician on the right, for instance).
The game was 2,000 points, and as always seems to happen when someone remarks "Well, so we roll for a mission or do we just do a Pitched Battle?" we rolled the result of a Pitched Battle. With victory points on the line, a full rematch of the War of the Beard was on. Well, maybe not that grand. More like "Skirmish of the Soul Patch" or "Guerrilla Action of the Goatee".
The right flank of the Elven Host was a massive unit of Lothern Sea Guard with a level 4 Arch Mage. The Dwarfs already felt outmatched in the magic phase, but the caster's presence was even more to worry about.
The center of the High Elf line were two units, one being the incomparable Phoenix Guard. Not only are they a nasty unit to fight (their defensive abilities alone), but they were beautifully painted. I love the banner!
The other unit in the center was a massive gang of White Lions, their enormous axes in hand and white lion-cloaks draped over their shoulders.
The High Elves' left flank was a unit of nine Silver Helms, some super-quick cavalry designed to give my flanks a rough time of things.
The Dwarfs battle line. I'll spare you the close ups of each unit because I post them a lot. The units were a group of Quarrelers in the left flank supported by one Grudge Thrower, a unit of Irondrakes and a Bolt Thrower in the right flank, and a core Horde of Warriors and large group of Ironbreakers surrounding my Anvil and a second Grudge Thrower.
Magic Defense and Shooting proved critical early on. My Quarrelers were deadly accurate early, and the Grudge Throwers inflicted some rough casualties on the Phoenix Guard before the High Elves could react. And on the Elves' turn, my runes of Spell Breaking proved invaluable as not only did it dispel the Walk Between Worlds that would have left a unit of nine heavy cavalry in my backfield, but it also destroyed the spell from the Elves' arsenal for the rest of the game.
In a weird symmetry to my last game, the Quarrelers were deployed on the far left and got into a shooting match with the enemy ranged unit--the Lothern Sea Guard. While they advanced and fired, the Quarrelers held firm. Again, the game ended with both groups decimated but neither fled nor fully defeated.
The Silver Helms, denied ethereal shenanigans, merely waited a turn and crashed into my Irondrakes--taking a casualty from the Drakegun fire as they rode in. They hit the Dwarf unit, and won the battle (slaying one more than they suffered), but the Dwarfs held firm (to the tune of a double 1's for leadership). That left the Silver Helms side open to a counter-charge from the horde of Warriors with Great Weapons, whose deadly strikes managed to just barely finish off each of the knights--leaving the unit able to reform and face the rest of the High Elves rather than having their rear exposed.
The White Lions were left with bad options, and decided that the smaller numbers of Ironbreakers were a more likely spot for success in combat. However, as battles between two Stubborn units tend to go, it turned into nasty attrition. The armor piercing special rule from the Runesmith was critical, as it made the Strength 4 Ironbreakers completely deadly with their wounds. It was at this fight that my opponent remembered that I should have rolled my Ancestral Grudge! Which I did, and was promptly a 5, meaning every Dwarf hated every enemy model. With rekindled grudges, the Ironbreakers turned and directed their wrath on the White Lions, killing many.
The White Lions then found themselves stuck between the Ironbreakers and a unit of charging Warriors with great weapons in their flank. The casualties were brutal, leading to a great loss of Elf lives (but also eight Ironbreakers--not at all shabby). The remaining Elves counted on the nearby Phoenix Guard to help them--it just meant passing a Stubborn leadership test with their battle standard bearer in range (which allows re-rolls of failed morale tests). With results of a 10, and then a 10 the second time on the re-roll, the elves fled. They were chased down by both units, who both collided with the Phoenix Guard (the Warriors on their flank). At that point, the battle was won by the Dwarfs.
Overall a great game, though the dice were very much unkind to my opponent. In addition to the leadership test disasters (that one that ended the game, plus one that left a unit unable to March and out-of-position for spells), his only solid magic phase was one where his mage had no viable targets. I haven't played High Elves in some time, and forgot how rough their force can be. Thank goodness for Toughness 4 and heavy armors, as without the Dwarf defensive equipment and abilities, the Elves would have wrecked my day. It was one of those games where I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop--one of these fierce enemy units to punch their way through one of mine and then just roll my force, but it never quite came. I'm looking forward to playing Travis again, tho dreading the inevitable reversal of fortune where my Dwarfs roll like Trolls and his High Elves are on fire.
Battles
Total 2015: 16 (Win/Loss/Tie: 10/4/2)
Total 2014: 15 (Win/Loss/Tie: 8/6/1)
Skaven:
7 Wins (Undead 2, Empire 1, T&T Daemons and Dwarfs, Siege Dwarfs and Bretonnians, T&T Daemons and Empire, T&T Dual Undead)
8 Losses (Lizadmen 1, Skaven 1, Empire 1, Dwarfs 1, Daemons 1, T&T Daemons 1, T&T Dwarfs 1, Special Game Nurgle)
1 Tie (Empire 1)
Dwarfs:
9 Wins (High Elves 1, Lizardmen 1, Dwarfs 3, Wood Elves 2, T&T Undead and Dwarfs, T&T Lizardmen and Wood Elves)
1 Loss (Dark Elves 1)
1 Tie (T&T Dual Undead)
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