Continuing our Wood Elf vs Beastmen narrative campaign, with game 4. So far, it hasn’t gone well for the defenders of Athel Loren, and Gardak Gorfeaster’s brayherd incursion from the Grey Mountains into the Amrothys valley in the Argylion region has results in 2 defeats and 1 draw. But, all these were smaller precursors to a larger confrontation. Now, after their previous skirmishing and a ‘forest ambush’ of the beasts on the march (game 3), the enemy have come to a clearing, and the revered Stones of Argwylon, where Gardak plans to throw down the ancient dolman and raise his own herdstone in its place.
Note: We do not play with WH’s u-go i-go turn sequence. We use a system of unit by unit activation, after issuing an action at the start of the turn. This adds a lot of tactical complexity, of who does what/when… and requires constant assessment of the next best activation through a turn. This produces a much more fluid and unpredictable game, and keeps both players full engaged all the time. Missiles, movement, combat etc. are unchanged.
This would be 2,600 points per side (just about all the Wood Elves I currently have), and the first pitched battle of the campaign. Now, Athel Loren gets to brings its full strength to bear. The opposed lists:
Wood Elves
Greyroot - Treeman Ancient, lvl 3, Illusions (Plague of Rust, Elemental Spirits, Earthen Ramparts)
befuddlement of mischiefs
Faenyr of Argwylon - Spellweaver, lvl 4, Wild Magic (Ariel’s Blessing, Spiteful Torrent, Durthu’s Wrath, Sapping Blight)
glamourweave kindred, heartwood pendant, giant blade
Yssion the Faun - Waystalker
scout kindred, bow of loren, muster of malevolents
Willowyf - Branchwraith, lvl 2, Elementalism (Mind Razor, Shimmer Dragon)
lamentions of despair
5 Gladeguard + lord’s bowman, swiftshiver arrows
9 Deepwood Scouts + lord’s bowman, swiftshiver arrows
9 Deepwood Scouts + lord’s bowman, swiftshiver arrows
9 Deepwood Scouts + lord’s bowman, swiftshiver arrows
16 Dryads + Nymph
3 Treekin with great weapons
5 Sisters of Thorne + full command, (Pillar of Fire)
5 Sisters of Thorne + full command, (Flaming Sword)
3 Giant Owls (Eagles)
1 Treeman
8 Waywatchers + swiftshiver arrows + ambushers
Beastman Brayherd
Gardak Gorfeaster - Doombull
with great weapon, heavy armour, Pelt of Midnight, Fur of Shaggru, 2 x Dark Hearts
Ulkark the Hooded - Great Bray Shaman, lvl 4, Primal Magic (Call of the Wild, Primordial Gloom, Fury of the Beast, Strangleroot)
with braystaff, Gnarled Hide, Goretooth, Hagtree Fetish
Nrak Blackhoof - Centigor Chieftain
with heavy armour, shield, Muscular Monstrosity, Mangelder
12 Ungor with shortbows
12 Ungor + full command, shields
26 Gors + full command
26 Gors + full command
10 Chaos Hounds
5 Minotaurs + full command
10 Bestigors + full command
8 Centigor + full command
3 Dragon Ogres + shartak
1 Cockatrice
1 Ghorgon
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The stones of Argylion, the field of battle. Wood Elves on the nearest edge, Beastman on the far side.
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Deployed, it looked a scary amount of Beastmen, and given the Wood Elves’ previous battles, optimism was not high as we got underway.
The first turns saw the Beastmen rolling forwards, under a hail of arrows, of course. These chipped away at the Minotaurs and Dragon Ogres, whilst an elemental spirits vortex spell rolled over the Chaos warhounds, which broke, fled, and were then rolled over by it again, wiping them out. A bit of a win for the forest spirits.
On the Beastman far left, their Centigors rushed forwards drunkenly, only to be hit by charging Sisters of the Thorne, a Treeman and an owl… the melee saw the Centigors destroyed and their chieftain, having killed the sister’s champion in a challenge, then fled for his worthless life, outrunning the pursuing elks.
In the centre, Wood Elf magic had been very useful, Greyroot using Willowyf’s Shimmering Dragon to ‘appear’ (lets imagine he grows out of the ground in double quick time). Then blasting off his own spells. The Minotaurs were incoming…
On the Beastmen far right, Yssion the Waystalker was scouting around a large rock. The Cockatrice flapped over to try to deal with his nuissance, only to be shot by his archery, then shot again as it charged on Turn 2 (quick shot) and then fail to injure the super-scout sniper, who hacked another wound of it with his sword. The creature fled, failed to rally and was soon gone! Single wood elf archer deals with Cockatrice shocker!
The third turn was were things got tricky, as the Beastman infantry began to charge. The Doombull and his escort of Bestigor hammered into the Treekin, as did the frenzied Ghorgon (no choice in that), killing two and leaving the wounded last tree fleeing. But magic then came in again as a spellweaver’s casting took 3 wounds from the Ghorgon, Deepwood scout massed archery took 2 more… and the newly arrived Waywatchers, just in asrai longbow range, picked off the last wound. The big beast was down! But the Doombull, Bestigor and the first mob of Gors were in place to charge the Dryad line next turn.
Meanwhile, charging Minotaurs, only 3 left after being peppered with arrows, found themselves in a fight with Greyroot and an helping owl. They defeated the last couple of Minotaurs, one fled, and the wounded owl chased it down to finish the job.
On the Wood Elf left, the sisters of thorne had been caught by Dragon Ogres, but their 4+ ward save rolled really well, and they only lost 1 sister. Still, the Dragon Ogres will surely destroy them next turn without some aid. Well, they didn’t get any, so died to the man (woman).
The battle was now in the centre, with the Dryads, buffed by earthen ramparts to try and hold. The Gors and Bestigor charged in and won the fight, by a lot, but the Dryads used their stubborn to just fallback and hold. Now for the counter-attack. The wood elves charged back, Greyroot into the rear of the Gors, the Spellweaver and Deepwood scouts into the Bestigor (assailment spell at the ready). If the Wood Elves could hold again, then surely the battle was theirs.
Meanwhile, the Treeman charged at the second Gor unit (with the Bray Shaman), who failed a Terror test and fled at speed. Deepwood Scout volleys cut down the Centigor Chieftain, the closest target now.
To the climax, and big melee. This saw the Dryads and Treeman ancient win well, and the Gors broke and ran, to be run down by chasing trees. The Bestigors held, and that allowed the Greyroot to charge on into their flank, even as the Deepwood Scouts were carved down by great axes and the Spellweaver took 2 wounds fighting the Doombull (a monster in melee). Could the Minotaur leader turn it around alone? Well, first he challenged the Treeman Ancient and they went at it. Hack and slash, the last Bestigor died leaving just Gardak vs Greyroot to resolve. After two rounds of melee, both had survived, the Doombiull on top, still having taken 3 wounds, the old tree almost felled by his great axe, with 5 wounds taken (what better for cutting down a tree?)… but the game was over.
A solid win for the Wood Elves, in large down to a lot of missile fire, some good magic and the Treemen.
So Gardak is still alive, but his Brayherd is badly damaged, the Wood Elves will now try to hunt down the last survivors, so none escape from their forest. I think the next battle will have the objective of killing the Doombull once and for all, perhaps as last stand for the Beastmen.
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Deployment. We agreed rules for the large rocks, they were impassable to all units except skirmishers, for which they are difficult ground.
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The furry mob in the Beast's centre, their main attack, minotaurs, gors, chaos hounds with ungor back up.
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The Elven centre, Deepwood scouts lurk in the bushes, Treekin and Dryads with Branchwraith.
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Light cavalry on both extreme flanks for the WEs. Here on the left, with the Gladeguard archers behind.
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Minotaurs are faced down by a 'teleporting' ancient Treeman. Concentrated archery whittled them down.
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Sisters of the Thorne in pursuit of the Nrak Blackhoof, after his Centigors are wiped out. He would rally and turn to fight again.
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Yssion the Waystalker scouts ahead, around the Beastman right, using the big rock. The Cockatrice comes over, but is defeated and then flees (pure fluke). My Waystalker turns out to be a right PITA... quiet right too!
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Ghorgon's eye-view, as the two centres close up (around an elemental spirits vortex). Magic is a huge help to the WE here, causing 4 wounds to the massive angry cow, and giving the Dryads an earthen rampart to try and hold the primal fury. The Treekin won't survive their fight with the Gorgon, Doombull and Bestigor.
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Out on the far flank, Dragon Ogres come to deal with the Sisters of the Thorne, and do! Messy...
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The other flank. The others Sisters face Nrak Blackhoof again, this time he wins a challenge, killing the Sister's champion, and they flee, out-running the Centigor chieftain. It was then shot down by Deepwood scout arrows... one more carcass for the crows.
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The end of the sisters on the WE left... if only our Pillar of Fire spell had worked!
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Waywatchers arrive on the left flank, and their accurate archery bring down the Ghorgon at 30" range, and continue to harass from some safety for the remaining turns. 16 accurate shots a turn begins to hurt.
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The final confrontation, battle of the two generals, inconclusive, but the Doombull would get a points victory in a boxing match. In future, an assailment spell for the Treeman would be handy. But, Treemen are tough even to survive two rounds of combat with a Doombull and his big axe.
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